Look What She's Done
by Aberrant Bliss
Summary: A sequel to And She Waited. Darkness returns to the world, but how long can he fight when everything has turned against him? How long can a boy's heart endure the trials in his life, the destiny placed upon him, and the things she's done to him?
1. Prologue

**Full Summary:** _It has been a year since the hero saved Hyrule, and all seems well for its inhabitants. However, the peace cannot last and signs that evil is once again brewing turn up. As a new adventure begins, relationships and friendships are tested while plots for revenge are carried out, leaving the saviors of Hyrule in unfamiliar territory. How long can they fight when life has turned against them? How long can a boy's heart endure the trials in his life, the destiny placed upon him, and the things she's done to him?  
_

**Hello there!** Welcome to my silly story, the sequel to _And She Waited_! This is a continuation of those adventures. This story _could_ stand alone, but if you want to know why things are the way they are, maybe reading ASW first would be helpful (but I understand it's long, so I could send you a summary if you were really interested). :3

Anyway, this sequel is a bit different from the first, perhaps slightly more linear and focused. It's slightly angsty, slightly random, slightly weird, totally…crazy. XD

I do hope you enjoy! If you have any questions or comments, criticisms, feel free to send them to me. :) I'd love to hear from you.

* * *

**Look What She's Done**

**Prologue ("Such Great Heights" – The Postal Service)**

* * *

She stood atop the stone wall that stretched across part of the field, her eyes closed. She imagined how it had been throughout the year, how she had endured the heat of the summer time and seen the first snow fall upon the vast field. She thought how pure the world was as a breeze blew her hair. How peaceful, how utopian…well, obviously there were conflicts, but nothing bad. Nothing requiring the might of their hero, only the prowess and expertise of their wonderful queen, the Queen of Hyrule.

She opened her eyes, spinning around in a circle, turning to face him. He sat at the end of the wall, absently petting Liam, her giant dog.

Their eyes locked and they smiled.

"Wonder what Miss Queen Zelda is up to," she said.

And as with Hylian law, she became queen through the only way possible. Luke, a former spy, proposed to her in the winter of last year, and although it was an unusual and seemingly sudden move, Zelda predictably accepted with more excitement than anyone she'd ever seen.

"_I'm_ still wondering how he had her in front of his eyes for years and never knew it was her." Zelda and Luke were like the family the two frolicking in the field didn't have, their brother and sister. The boy had never known a family, no one but his cousin. The girl knew and loved her family, but was torn far from them, and the thought of it still haunted her.

If she couldn't have them, _he_ was all she needed. They were conjoined, sharing a vital organ: their heart.

"Only Luke would be this ridiculously awesome CIA spy secret agent dude and not know the boy he was in love with was actually the princess he would end up marrying in the super awesome future."

He laughed. His cheeks turned red very slightly. She looked down at him from the wall, tilting her head to the side, wondering why he was blushing. He just looked up at her and grinned a toothy grin.

"I love you, Link," she said seriously. He held his hand out to her with a smile. She skipped forward, about to take it…

But then she jumped down to the ground, her arms out, and yelled, "_Liam_!"

The dog jumped up, racing around her. She pretended to be a monster, following him with outstretched fingers at head height. The dog assumed a playful pose, his butt up in the air, growling lovingly. She raced forward and tackled him, falling to the grass with the ball of fur.

"But I think you love him more than you love me," he said in his language, in Hylian. She lifted her head to look at him, knowledge in the crinkles at the edges of her eyes.

"That's totally true," she responded, slowly, surely, in his language. She had a heavy accent, unable to completely duplicate the articulate sounds that formed the Hylian language. But it had only been a year. Exactly one year to the day. He thought it was remarkable, her drive to learn.

"Ah, help me! There's a monster eating me!" she yelled of the calm dog sitting, panting, and drooling beside her.

He stood, going to them, petting the dog roughly but gently, causing him to run off in a circle around them.

He kneeling to the ground beside her, putting his arm over her, his face near hers.

"I love you, Meghan. I will forever, and I will always protect you."

"I _totally_ coulda handled it," she joked.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! :)**


	2. The Reincarnation of Party Time!

**Just so you know, for (almost) every chapter, I will post a song that I feel fits the general mood of the chapter (more relevant in later chapters when things begin to happen). If you would like to get into the mood of the story, then maybe you can find the songs on Youtube or something and listen as you read! I love doing that. :3**

* * *

**Chapter I – The Reincarnation of Party Time! ("We Don't Bleed"—New London Fire)**

* * *

There were fires burning.

He was frozen. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to help, but how could he? He could not put out fires, nor heal the wounded. Everything seemed ruined. But didn't he want to be the hero, like the man from Hyrule? The hero…he had been his secret inspiration.

He heard people talking, gathered outside the small, central part of the village.

"We have nothing now…we need aid from Hyrule…someone needs to alert them, and quickly…our horses are injured…who will go?...I am too weak…"

"I…I will go," he said quietly. No one paid attention, as everyone was busy lamenting over the loss...of everything.

"I will go," he said, stronger this time. An older woman turned to him.

"You will go?" she asked, with certain worry and certain hope. "Everyone, listen," she said loudly, before turning to bend slightly to his height. "He will make the journey!"

"I must," he said, his voice warbling. His sisters stood beside him, holding each other, crying. "Will you watch them?"

"Of course!" the woman said, pulling the two young girls to herself.

Everyone started talking again, this time to him. The villagers told him he must tell the king and queen. He must tell them to send aid as quickly as they can. Treat the queen with respect. He nodded over and over again. Finally, they pushed him off, stuffing a few essential items in his hands. He turned and ran in the direction they pointed him, the gravity of what he was doing suddenly getting to him.

A young woman called his name just before he disappeared into the darkness of the forest. He stopped abruptly and turned, recognizing her as someone his parents knew well. The woman lived on the outskirts of the village, her home unaffected. She ran, across the dewy grass, with a weathered piece of parchment in one hand, and a pouch in another.

She unfolded the paper, and showed him a map.

"This is the path you must take. It is simple, but long. Can you do this?"

He stared up into her young face. He nodded.

"It's likely dangerous to go alone, but I cannot…"

She faded away, looking distressed about something. "Take this," she said, handing him the small bag.

"Thank you," he said, taking it and the map.

"Please, will you let them know how everything is here? Zelda will send help right away. I know she will."

"Yes, I will."

"And also, will you tell my cousin…that I am all right? I imagine…he would worry…"

"Your cousin?" asked the boy.

"Yes…his name is Link. He's—"

The boy gasped. "The Hero of Time!"

* * *

"So where are we going?"

"You'll see."

"Come _on_, on top of the mountain? Are we going to say hi to Biggoron? Jumping into lava pits?"

They were taking the repaired path up to the top of Death Mountain. Link was going to "show" Meghan something, but couldn't tell her what. She was honestly confused.

"That's what you'll be seeing."

"What _is_ it?" she bugged him, poking his arm.

Meghan was both eager and hesitant. Today was her seventeenth birthday. He was surely up to something. She thought _maybe_ he wouldn't go crazy this year, but this morning, she had woken up to flowers scattered on top of her bed (plus Liam, her mastiff, happily drooling on her covers). It wasn't a good sign. She wasn't going to have a normal day. She laughed aloud and thanked Link again for the great morning. The mushiness.

"You're very welcome."

"Where did you get those flowers?"

"Um..."

"Link!"

"Well, I stole them from the Garden up in the Sacred Realm...?"

"OK..."

"They grow back!"

"I know."

"No, I mean instantaneously."

"I _know_."

"OK…"

They were at the very top of the mountain, near Biggoron.

"Hello!" Meghan said cheerfully to the lovable, huge Goron.

"Hiiiii," he responded, a gentle smile on his face.

Link turned to face her. "So do you remember last year when we came to play Goron bowling with the Gorons, and Zelda came because I said I'd dropped the ocarina down the mountain?"

"Yes, I do..." Meghan thought. That had been over a year ago, but she remembered that week very distinctly. That had been during the week before Link was to replace the Master Sword in its pedestal to ensure Ganon was sealed forever. It might not have been an issue, but for the fact that Meghan had not existed (as far as Hyrule was concerned) in the time they should have gone back to, Link's childhood. They'd been terrified…but in the end, everything had worked out.

"It was a ridiculous excuse for me running away. Zelda made it up, not me." He grinned sheepishly. "So anyway, that wasn't the truth."

"It did seem a _bit_ odd." _Understatement_.

"Yeah. So, the _true_ reason I went away for a few seconds was to come here to get something, but it wasn't able to be ready for a year. Hello, Biggoron, do you have it?"

"Yeeesss."

Biggoron reached next to himself and took a long, white object between his fingers. He handed it down to Link.

"Thanks! So, Meghan, this would be…for you. Happy birthday."

"Oh my _goddesses_! Link, why do you do this? Thank you!" She tried to contain her excitement as she grasped a white hilt protruding from a sheath. She pulled out a thin blade, about two feet long, she assumed.

"I know I'm…a bit trapped in the past. I really hope that you will never need to use this for anything, but I also hope that we can really begin to spar if you have this. It is custom made for you, by Biggoron. It should feel natural."

They both knew that Meghan was not the best swordswoman in the world, though she tried to steadily improve with Link's guidance. Still, the Kokiri Sword she typically used couldn't have been helping her case. Since it was made for a child, and all.

"Thank you so much Biggoron! It's beautiful!"

"You'rrre weeelcommme," he bellowed, tapping her very lightly on the head. (He seemed to be gentler than the other Gorons, who would _merrily_ squeeze her to death.)

Meghan giggled. She moved her fingers to touch the blade very gently.

"Be careful," Link said. He stopped her hand. "It's very sharp and thin, so that it is lightweight."

"Oh...ouch."

"One of its qualities. The other thing is the sheath. It's not a normal one." He showed her the sheath, which he was still holding. She noticed that there were two straps. "It attaches to your leg."

"Neat." She also had trouble re-sheathing swords. Man. This kid had it covered!

"Yeah." He bent down and attached the sheath to her right calf over her pants. It was awesome. She slid the sword in easily.

"Wow, that's so cool." She admired the sheath for a second. The rounded end went to her ankle, and the opening came a few inches above her knee. When she bent her knee, the hilt tilted forward. She turned her foot in to admire the detail on the sheath. It was mainly white, but there was silver trim around the top and bottom. In the middle was a Triforce.

"Wow…it's…gorgeous."

"Oh, just one more thing..." he said with a smirk. Link pulled the sword out of her hipster leg-sheath and pointed to something engraved on the blade in little letters, just below the hilt.

"_Eternal love_."

Those simple words touched her heart. "Eternal" had always been a powerful word to her. Her favorite word and concept, and to pair it with something so brilliant as love…ah. She felt so happy. He smiled as she gently traced the words.

No one knew her like he did.

"She needs a name," Link said, though he didn't expect her to think of one just then.

"Yes, she does. Hmm..." Meghan thought for a few seconds, looking at the blade of the sword, dipping the tip of it up and down as though testing the feel of it, as though she knew a good sword from a bad one. Then suddenly a light bulb went on in her head.

"I'll call it Soe."

"Soe? Is that an Earthly name?" he asked jokingly.

"No, not really. Well, there is this name Zoë with a 'z,' but no."

"Where is it from, then?"

She blushed slightly, replacing the sword. "It's dumb. My brain just went through a bunch of loops and silly thoughts before I got to it. I just made it up." She wiggled her arms around with her words.

He laughed. "Oh, so you made it up..."

"Well, OK! Fine. This is dumb. But you know how, uh, last year you and Zelda were silly schemers and made that, like, title for me? On my birthday? Because 'human' just wasn't cutting it?"

"Oh," he said, raising his eyebrows, realizing.

"Yeah, so it could be the 'Sage of Earth,'" she said, using extremely exaggerated air quotes and changing the tone of her voice to make it sound ridiculous, "but that's too long and boring. So I used the initials, and it sounded cool…in my head."

"OK, that works."

"Totally." She admired it. "Soe!" She pulled it out and poked it around the air a few times. It was great. "This is wonderful."

"Wouuullddd youuu liiikke mmmmee to ennngrrraave theee nnnaaammme oonn iitt?" Biggoron asked in his ground-rumbling voice. "I caan do iit right now."

"Oh, yes! Thank you!" Meghan showed him where she would like it. Biggoron took it and moved it over to his little workplace, where he started to etch the name on the sword and sheath.

"I know it's weird now, but last year I was still in the mindset...the fighting and everything." A part of him thought he would never come out of that mindset. Even if it hadn't been his purpose in life to fight, there had been attacks even after Ganon's demise that had alarmed him into never letting his guard down, though those had occurred nearly a year ago. Maybe now…he could truly be at ease.

"It's OK, Link. It's still really useful and great. I still want to improve 'mah skillz.' I don't know what I'd ever _seriously_ use it for, but if nothing else, maybe it'll keep me in shape. I think it's among the best gifts ever."

"Oh, only _among_ the best?" he asked with a smile, teasing her. She kinda hated getting gifts.

"Well! You know, Galaxy, this necklace, the flute, Liam, and my Evanescence CDs, those were all great too." She was of course referring to her horse, the treble clef pendant necklace he had given her last year, the flute Zelda had given her, her watchdog-turned-oversized-lapdog, and her favorite band's CDs.

"Well, I'm glad mine are up there," he said facetiously. Meghan just laughed.

Biggoron handed back the sword and sheath.

"Thank you," Meghan said as she admired the writing. Biggoron had engraved "Soe" opposite the writing Link already had on it, and on the silver part near the opening of the sheath. Then she looked up at Link.

"Thank you so much!" She hugged him, squeezing him tightly. He smiled and murmured "Happy birthday."

She sighed, and then backed up.

"We should go back. Zelda wants you to see something."

"What?"

"Can't tell you."

"Aw. Of course."

"Good bye, Biggoron." Link waved.

"Bye!" Meghan said, waving ferociously with the hand that wasn't holding her Soe.

"Byeeee," he grumbled, waving his big hand and creating a breeze.

They made their way down the mountain, and Link said that they needed to return to the castle.

Meghan hadn't seen Zelda or Luke the whole day. They were busy monarchs, but Meghan loved them to pieces (and looked up to them). They found Luke and Zelda waiting outside the door to her room.

Meghan was staying in the castle because…well, she hadn't had a home before. When she first found Hyrule, she had stayed with Saria, one of Link's childhood friends, though the girl had never been home.

Zelda smiled when she saw Meghan. Luke grinned.

"Hey," Meghan greeted nonchalantly. "What's up?"

Luke had learned from Meghan that "what's up" meant something like "how's it going" after he unknowingly answered "the ceiling" the first time she asked it. Like the dork that he was.

"Oh, nothing."

"So…why are you guys waiting outside my door?' Meghan couldn't help but smile.

"No reason…but I found this huge monster in your room when I was looking for you…quite frankly, I cannot explain it, but maybe you will figure it out," Zelda said.

"Yeah, it's completely bizarre," Luke agreed.

"What, are you talking about my Liam?" she joked. "Stop making fun of him! He can't help that he drools twenty-four seven."

"No, it certainly was not Liam," Zelda responded, a warm smile on her face.

"OK…I guess I'll look…" she said, pursing her lips together.

"I'm sure it's nothing," Link said.

"Yes, nothing," Zelda agreed.

"Absolutely nothing," Luke concurred.

"OK…" she said, her hand on the door's handle.

"Why don't you go look?"

The sovereigns stepped away.

It was in the sitting room, tucked neatly into the corner to her right.

A beautifully glossy, creamy, off-white baby grand piano sat in the corner of her room. She covered her mouth with her hand, and walked over to it. Liam went to greet her, but she inadvertently didn't pay attention to him.

They had all followed her into the room, standing near the doorway as she observed it. It was beautiful. The soft color reminded her of that of white chocolate, deliciously creamy and breathtaking. She was afraid to touch it. It would probably melt under her hands. The cover was down over the keys, showcasing shiny golden hinges. An ornately decorated music stand was attached to the top. The top was propped open, revealing shiny new strings, clean wooden hammers and other insides.

She nearly squealed with delight. It was so beautiful! But surely if she touched it, she would leave fingerprints on its buttery exterior.

"Will you play for us?"

"I'm so afraid to touch it…" she said joyfully.

"Do not worry, you won't be able to harm it." The elegance in Zelda's voice always almost sounded like she had an accent from Fancy Town. "It's not made of glass, dear."

"What about finger prints?"

"You can't make those either," Luke added, laughing. "Just kidding. You can, but it seriously doesn't matter, Meg. I'll wipe it off for you."

"OK…" She pulled out the bench and felt the smoothness of the finish. She had to remove the sword so it wouldn't hit the underside of the keyboard. She carefully put it on the coffee table. She smiled while her insides literally danced around. She put her hands on the keys.

Everyone was standing at the door still, waiting for her to play. She felt nervous.

"Please, have a seat!"

They laughed and took spots on the chairs and couch. Meghan thought of what she could play without ruining or forgetting halfway through. She certainly didn't play piano very regularly anymore, having to go to the ballroom just to play (and even then, she had to be sure it wasn't being used). She settled on an Evanescence song—one she knew she could never forget. "Breathe No More."

"_I've been looking in the mirror for so long,_

_That I've come to believe my soul's on the other side._

_All the little pieces falling shatter._

_Shards of me, too sharp to put back together._

_Too small to matter, but big enough to cut me into_

_so many little pieces,_

_If I try to touch her._

_And I bleed, I bleed._

_And I breathe, I breathe no more."_

Meghan was in complete heaven. She'd never played a grand piano before, much less one so beautiful. She closed the song with a short outro, ending on a single note.

"Marvelous!" Zelda said as the three clapped. Meghan smiled and folded her arms, resting them on the top of the piano and looking down at the keys.

"Pssh, this _piano _is marvelous! I love it! Thank you so much!" She lifted her head up then spun around on the bench. "I'm so happy." Though she felt bad…Zelda and Luke really didn't have to bestow all these ridiculous gifts upon her. Living here in the castle was enough. She felt like she should be, like, paying rent or something.

"Happy seventeenth," Luke said. She briefly wondered if Luke thought she was childish. He was five years older than her, but still they spent a lot of time together.

"It feels more like my second birthday. I mean, last year was my first as a Hylian here. This will be my second!" It was only a year ago she became a Hylian? It didn't seem true! There were still days that she would rest her head in her hands and surprise herself with her strange, pointy hearing machines. Her sentiment didn't quite translate, though.

"I suppose we could treat you like a two-year-old. Would you like that?" Link asked.

She made a face. "Oh yes, very much," she said sarcastically. "And I guess this is too sharp for me." She pointed at her sword, on the bench beside her. "Babies shouldn't play with knives."

"I guess you're right," he laughed.

Meghan turned back and fingered the keys.

"Well, we will go now. I will see you tonight!"

"See you in the torture chamber!" Luke called.

She was having another birthday party. Tiny. Not an economic-stimulus country-wide hell event like last year. Still, she couldn't get away from one. Birthdays were like evenly scattered Christmases in Hyrule, and refusing a celebration would be like telling a small child that Santa didn't exist. She couldn't do that to their fragile hearts.

"Play another song!" Link requested from behind when the door has closed on Zelda and Luke. Meghan turned her head and smiled.

"Remember this one?"

She took a second, and then started playing a simple melody, one like a dream from long ago. The song sounded indeed familiar, but he wasn't sure if it was just the haunting melody doing that to him or if he truly knew it.

Then her voice started to match the melody.

"_Sweet Song, Sweet tune plays in my head, when I remember it was but a dream._

_Do I remember it was a dream? My tears remind me, remind me to sleep."_

"'Oh!'" he said, remembering the sweet song she'd sang last year when their fate wasn't so clear. He concentrated deeply on the lullaby, where her voice went and how the chords progressed. The piano part turned more complex, weaving arpeggios in and out of the melody.

Then suddenly, it turned back to the simple melody, the piano playing staccato, and it ended in a huge combination of octave notes.

She spun around on the bench, turning just in time to see him smile.

"I remember it." She smiled and pranced over to meet him on the couch. She fell and hugged him, their cheeks together.

"Thank you for everything!"

"No, thank you!"

"But it's my birthday, I'm thanking you!"

They still hadn't grown out of their meaningless conversation habit. If anything, this was a symbol of their same-wavelength relationship.

Meghan was overjoyed at having her own piano, and she went to find her flute that Zelda gave her last year.

"They match!" she cried, putting together the flute and resting it on the music stand at the top of the piano. Kinda.

She turned and smiled at him again.

"What do you want to do now?"

She took his hand and stared into his eyes.

"I don't know…"

She smiled, kissing him quickly on the lips. His fingers touched her cheek.

* * *

Meghan was getting dressed for the party. This year she was wearing a dress that was a bit less formal, but still beautiful. She actually picked it out herself this year, too. It was a deep green color. The top was strapless again, but the chest area was embroidered with white designs all around to the back. The designs faded into a fitting waist area, and then at the hips the dress fanned out in layers of wispy material. Link hadn't yet seen it, so she was wondering what he would think of it.

A little over a year ago, she wouldn't have been caught dead in a dress or skirt. Part partially because she was forced, partially because she grew to accept it, she could be found wearing those things more often these days.

Saria and Zelda came to her room to help her with her hair. Zelda wore a lovely light blue dress, elegant and sinuous. Saria's was a profound purple that offset her hair.

It was another unofficial law in Hyrule that you couldn't get dressed up by yourself.

"Thanks, guys! It looks really beautiful," Meghan told them afterwards. Zelda and Saria smiled at their handiwork, and then led Meghan, and her faithful companion Liam, to the party room.

This room was not the huge ballroom, but a small, sophisticated sitting room on the first floor of the castle.

She entered and people turned to wish her a happy birthday. She thanked everyone with a smile, while looking for her certain special someone. She couldn't find him. She didn't think anything of it, though, knowing he'd appear soon enough.

She was talking to Kazana, a Zora her age, and her brother Mayano and Princess Ruto. She hadn't seen them in a little while, and she was catching up on what was going on with them.

It turned out Ruto and Mayano's wedding was soon, but after a bit of explaining Meghan began to realize that Zora weddings were nothing like ones from Earth, or even like Hylian weddings. They _were_ half fish, though, so having the ceremony underwater didn't really seem _too_ farfetched…

Kazana and Mayano had volunteered to play with their band for the party this year, as they had last year, so Mayo and Kazzy went to the small platform serving as a stage to set up. Meghan went to find Zelda, to ask her if she knew where Link was.

She also hadn't seen Luke anywhere. The absence of her two favorite boys in Hyrule was strange. Zelda was madly in love with Luke, as she had been since he was just a spy. He'd risen up through the ranks quite efficiently, since he was now king (and made stops at spymaster and general of the Hylian army in between). Link was sure to be with him. They were basically bffs.

Meghan walked to Zelda, who was talking with Malon. They were talking about Zelda's horse, Starla. Malon turned to wish her a happy birthday, polite and shy and pleasant as usual. Meghan enjoyed Malon quite a bit. She was always gentle, but she always had an interesting story to tell. And a beautiful singing voice.

"Thank you! Have you guys seen Link?"

Malon shook her head, but Zelda smiled. Meghan looked at her expectantly, one eyebrow raised.

"He'll be here soon."

It was nearly an hour into the party. "Nice of him to tell me he wouldn't be here!" Meghan joked.

"Oh, don't worry, he's coming very soon…he's on his way now."

Zelda had the talent of knowing exactly when Link would be coming by feeling the presence of the Triforce in him. She could feel it coming closer.

"Soon?"

"Hmm…yes, soon."

Then his arms wrapped around her, and she laughed. Behind you!

Malon and Zelda laughed at her surprise.

"Link!" She turned and smiled. He had on his mischievous grin. "Where have you been?"

"Ah, no where!"

"I don't think I believe you."

"Smart girl!"

"Haha, thanks," she replied sarcastically. "What were you up to?" she asked flatly.

Just then, Mayo and Kaz's band started. It was a catchy song, and the singer's voice started to gloss over the rest of the band. "Want to dance?" he asked, ignoring her question.

"Of course!"

The two took to the dance floor. Meghan noticed Luke had come too, and he and Zelda followed them to dance. Yep, they'd definitely been up to something.

"So—"

"You look beautiful," he cut her off.

"Do you like the dress?"

"Hmm…" He assessed her, holding her back at arm's length. She nearly blushed, and then he pulled her closer. "It's pretty…"

She laughed. "Why thank you. You're not too shabby yourself."

He was wearing a dark blue-green sort of color that perfectly complimented her dress, and black pants. She petted his hair. He'd been going around hatless for a while now. Meghan liked it better when she could see his lovely sandy hair.

After they got tired of dancing, they went to eat, and this year the chef made her favorite Hylian dish.

It was a dish made of lots of paper-thin pieces of dough piled on top of each other, filled with cheese and vegetables. On the side there was the most delicious Hylian rice and stir-fried like vegetables. They all sat at a long table, where she could see everyone.

For desert, there was fresh fruit. It was delicious, and there were some that tasted like fruits from Earth, like the strawberries, mangoes, and (her absolute favorite food ever) watermelon! It was a wonderful meal, and Meghan thanked the head cook, Granice, who'd come to sit at the table, for making it so wonderful.

There was a specific formula for Hylian birthday parties, and she hated the part that came next.

"Come on, Meghan!" Zelda said cheerfully.

Meghan trudged to where Zelda stood, unhappy for the first time that day.

She noticed an armed guard walk behind her friends, making his way to where Luke and Zelda.

"I wonder what's wrong…" Zelda thought aloud as the guard walked up to Luke and told him something. Luke's brow furrowed and the guard turned to face Zelda.

"There is a boy from Orda Village at the front gates. Should we let him in? Where should we bring him? He's in shambles."

"Of course! A boy? Oh, you need not ask! Oh no…" She started walking to the exit. "Sorry Meg—"

"Zelda, we should go see," Meghan said.

Zelda turned and smiled.

"Nice try," Link said, pulling Meghan's arm as she tried to walk away. "Zelda and Luke are quite capable of handling this."

"Link, my darling Hero of Time, aren't your spidey senses tingling?"

"Zelda and Luke can take care of it, my dear Sage of Earth."

She scowled at him. _Nonono_ _don't call me that!_

"Since when is it _mandatory_ that I receive presents?" she moaned, watching the monarchs exit.

"Since it's your birthday."

"Gah!" These Hylians. She was going to get him for this, next birthday. It wasn't even like he had been super cheerful happy about having his own party last year! He'd grumbled just as much as she was now. They just loved to torture each other…

She looked out to the people in the room, though. They were all she had. She smiled.

* * *

Zelda picked up the copious layers of her dress and walked as fast as she could, following the guard and Luke. She wondered what had happened to the boy. She ran through what she would do for him as soon as she got there inside her mind.

They reached the front of the castle, where a boy sat on the grass, surrounded by guards kneeling by him, looking half inquisitive and half worried. They stood back as Zelda and Luke came forward.

Luke kneeled next to him as Zelda bent down (so as not to soil her dress) to see what was wrong.

He was a young boy, maybe thirteen, Zelda speculated. His thin, short brown hair was messy and his clothes dirty. He seemed weak.

"What's wrong? What happened to you?"

"This…these terrible people came through our village…they sent me here to tell you…he stole everything, killed our animals…burned some of the houses…" He looked to be on the verge of tears.

"Who was it?" Zelda worried for the people there, especially thinking of their friend Sierace.

"I don't know…I don't know their names. I didn't even see them, but someone said that one of them was terrible looking, with horrible eyes and terrible power…"

Zelda looked at Luke, knowing something was indeed wrong.

"Please, I came to tell you…they need help…" he cried, and then he wobbled and almost slumped over. Luke caught him, and his eyes shot back open.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry! I haven't eaten for three days, nor drank in several hours…"

"Oh, no! Luke, get him inside!"

Luke nodded and picked up the boy who offered little protest. The guards looked alarmed, but Zelda told them they'd handle it. "Thank you for alerting us."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Dear, did you come here alone?"

Luke rushed him to the kitchen on the first floor (he was twig thin and very light), sitting him at Granice's table as Zelda went to get water and food. She found leftovers from the party and got a pitcher full of water and a cup.

"Here, drink this and eat!" Zelda said. The boy gulped down the water in a matter of seconds, breathing heavily. Zelda sat next to Luke, who sat across from the hungry boy. She whispered in his ear, "_Luke, he said he had powers…what does he mean by that?_"

"It might just be some Hylian who found they could do magic and went a little insane with it…"

"Yes, but how likely is that?" She had been sure she knew everyone who had magic…

"I don't know, however we should send help for those people."

"We have to send help right away. It'll take a few days to get there even if we send them right now."

"Yes, I'll put together a group now."

"I would hate to leave him…" Zelda said, but she wanted to also help in sending the people back to Sierace's village.

The boy looked up, the entire plate finished. He wished he could have more, but didn't want to ask for too much.

"Are you finished?" Zelda asked with a smile. "Do you want any more?"

"Oh…yes, please!" he said eagerly, a smile coming to his face. Zelda complied and gave him another plateful, which he, again, scarffed down. She sighed, resting her head delicately on her gloved hand.

"I think you should rest. You look so tired. I will give you a room in the castle," Zelda said kindly.

"Oh, thank you! But first, I must see the king and queen. It's urgent that I tell them! That's what my fellow villagers said. 'You have to tell the queen, get there quickly, and treat her with proper respect,'" he quoted. "Please, I need to tell Her Majesty…she is kind and will help us, I know it!"

Zelda chuckled, and Luke smiled.

"Dear, we are the king and queen," she said gently. The boy gasped, his mouth wide open, then he quickly stood. He shakily fell to his knees. He just seemed to collapse on the floor.

"Forgive me, your majesties! I've never seen you before, I've never been out of my village, I've never known…I'm sorry! I should have known from the descriptions, but I was just so tired…"

"No! Relax!" Luke said, smiled and laughing. He hoisted the scrawny boy back up to his feet and rested his hands on the boy's thin shoulders.

"Please, you don't have to call us majesties! Zelda and Luke will suffice…"

"All right!" he said, too loudly.

"Sit! Sit! Please, darling," Zelda stood and put her hand on his shoulder, over Luke's. "Please, you're our guest." She gave another warm smile that melted the boy's heart and calmed him through.

"Oh…right." He stared in awe. "I'm sorry, I just thought that they'd look a bit older. I mean, you'd be older. And certainly not as…I've never heard of a queen…giving someone like me food herself! Where are your servants? I mean…I thought you had them…don't you have important…duties? I must be a bother…"

"Oh, silly," Zelda mused. "Everyone's an equal in Hyrule. We aren't more important than any one person. There is a birthday party going on right now, and the majority of the people who work here are attending the guests."

The boy was dumbstruck. He obviously wasn't in his village any more, where their "mayor" acted like he owned the place (though few listened to him). Mainland Hyrule was different…he could feel it already. He felt safe in the hands of Zelda.

"Now, what's your name?" Zelda asked.

"Erol," he responded, "Erol Masitima."

"All right, Erol, now I want you to come with us and clean up, then rest. You really need it."

"Yes…" He couldn't deny that.

Zelda and Luke led him to a guest room in the castle. It was a large room with a bed at one wall, and the door to the bathroom at the other. In the middle was a couch, and in the back a small balcony facing the western forests.

"Bathroom's in there. I'll get you clean clothes," Luke told him.

"Ah," Zelda said, bringing her hands together and suddenly there were clothes in her hands. "Here you go." She smiled again as Erol's mouth opened wide. "No need to wait."

"Or Zelda could do that…" he joked, smiling at the boy.

The boy thanked them profusely, speechless.

"Please, rest and stay here long as you like. I don't suppose you should be going back for a while…"

"But I need to help my family!"

"Don't worry, we're on that."

"I'm only staying for the night," he said defiantly.

"Please, we will discuss that later, all right? I need you to rest," Zelda said with a stern look on her face. Kind as she was, she still had that authoritative note in her words.

"All right…"

"Thank you! We will send help right now, I promise," Zelda said.

"Thank you for everything! Please help my family and friends…"

"We will. Rest, now."

Zelda and Luke exited the room.

"Oh, wait! I forgot…to tell the hero!" he cried, but they were gone.

They walked back to Luke's office.

"Luke, send plenty of supplies…food, water, and people to help." She bit her lip, fretting about the safety of the people.

"I'll do it. You go back to the party, OK?"

"I…but I shouldn't…"

"Come on, Zelda. This conflict of morals is for another day! Go have fun, please."

"Oh, fine."

She kissed him quickly, then left to leave, glancing back and smiling on her way out.

Two seconds later, she returned at the door. "Make sure they ask if Sierace is all right!"

"Yeah, I will."

"Maybe I should send her a letter…"

"I'll do it, Zellie."

"Are you sure? That's a lot to do…"

"I can do it! Go!"

"Oh fine!"

She was gone.

* * *

A few minutes into the slow dancing, Zelda returned alone. She went straight to Meghan and Link, apologizing for missing part of the party.

"No big deal! Don't even worry about it," Meghan comforted. "But what happened?"

"Oh, just some thieves stole from the boy's village. They made a mess of the place. We're sending help right away. Once Luke's done with that, he'll come back."

"Village?" Link asked, suspicious.

"Well, yes, it was…Sierace's village. But I'm certain she's fine!"

"No!" he said, turning to face Zelda straight on. "I should go there…"

"Link, it's fine. I'm sending a group of soldiers right now. They will take care of it."

Sierace was Link's cousin from his mother's side. Link had discovered she was related to him last year, and they grew close because they were the last of their family.

"I'm sure she is. From what I understand, it happened in the main village, and hopefully not out in the outer forest where Sierace lives. She's fine, and either way, she'd be able to get out of it. She's perfect." Zelda gave him a smile.

"I hope so." He looked worried, but he sensed the honesty in Zelda. He didn't want his only other family member to be hurt, or killed. Sierace was young, only twenty-four.

"Luke is sending her a note."

"OK, I should too…"

"I'm sure she's fine, Link," Meghan said, attracting his worried attention to her. She held up a peace sign. "She's a tough cookie."

"I guess she is."

"We'll send her a note. Want to go now?" she asked, taking a few steps to the door.

He smiled. "I know what you're doing."

"Come on, this is important."

"All right, but we're coming _straight_ back. Understand?"

She just laughed.

They went to the room where the transporter was. The transporter was a small column of blue light, alone in a room with nothing but a desk, which would send letters directly to Sierace's house. It was how Link and Sierace communicated most of the time, and how Zelda kept in touch with Orda Village. They discovered a note already there, waiting for them.

Porcupine and Falconmonster looked at each other, wondering who would pick it up. Porcupine went forward and gingerly took it.

She read it, relief showing on her face.

"She says that she is fine, and that people seem fine, but the village is torn apart. She wants us to send aid…it seems she wrote this a day or two ago. She tells us to expect Erol if we get this letter before he arrives."

Well, they hadn't, but oh well.

Falconmonster sighed with relief. At least they were safe. He wondered if he should go there. He wondered what had happened to the thieves, and why they had done so much damage. He wanted to help. But he also felt like this was something Zelda's army should take care of. He was not the army. He was not that hero now. But he thought it wouldn't hurt to go see Sierace again, and help out while there.

But then Meghan would want to go. Was it safe now? Were the thieves gone?

Maybe his spidey senses _were_ tingling a bit.

* * *

"Goodbye, Dia! Bye Devan!" Meghan called. Dia, a tiny now-five-year-old of whom Meghan had grown quite fond, waved to Meghan from her mother's arms. Her big brother Devan walked with her, trying to act grown up as usual.

Their mother, Sheftali, leaned in close to her. "Could you be at the laboratory tomorrow? I wanted to try a new experiment I've been hypothesizing about. We'll also check over the others." Sheftali was the leading biologist in Hyrule and had employed Meghan in her biology lab a few months ago. Together, they were discovering fascinating things about Hylians.

"Of course. Gladly!"

"Thank you! Happy birthday! It was a lovely party!" Dia was nodding off in her arms. "I should get these two asleep—"

"I don't need to sleep now!" Devan yelled defiantly.

"All right, all right, but let's get home. I'll talk to you soon, Meghan!"

"Yeah, see you soon!" Meghan turned to Link, cocking her head to the side and smiling. "Kamamelons are yummy…"

"Of course they are!"

"Shall we?"

"Let's go!"

Meghan and Link went to get kamamelon juice, a drink full of natural caffeine and sugar made from the kamamelon. The guests remaining were laughing loudly in their conversations. Yo. Humans get drunk. Hylians get _kamamelonized_.

They went to sit near Zelda and Luke, who'd returned, and helped themselves to more juice. Zelda was in the middle of a fit of laughter, Luke obviously the teller of the joke.

"What's so funny?" Meghan asked, sipping the orange drink.

"I...I just! I just! Gaahhhhaaa!" she snorted, bending forward and tears streaming from her perfect blue eyes. Meghan found her laughing funny, and so did Link, and soon the two of them were in fits too. Luke looked on with obvious humor in his eyes, proud of his successful gag.

Saria soon began laughing at the three, causing her good friend Malon to laugh at her bobbing green head, and causing Nabooru to make a joke out of their hair colors, which caused Ruto, Mayo, and Kazana to look on and chuckle (the effects weren't so potent in Zoras) and soon the few other people joined in on the fun.

When Zelda was just calming down, a new tide of laughter sounded around her and caused her to giggle insanely, which then set off the whole domino effect again.

Quite literally a few minutes later, everyone started calming down, gasping for air.

"That was the most pointless thing I have ever experienced!" Meghan exclaimed when things had quieted down, a smile on everyone's face.

They decided soon that it was best to say their goodbyes for the night. A few people were going to stay in the castle because their homes were farther away and it was late.

Meghan, Zelda, Link, and Luke walked back to Meghan's sitting room, a part of her apartment-like dwelling within the castle. The four chatted for a small short time, but they were all tired and Zelda and Luke said their goodbyes soon after.

Meghan and Zelda hugged, Link and Luke did their boy-hug thing, and Meghan quickly hugged Luke who kissed her on the cheek and wished her a final Happy Remainder of the Day.

Meghan looked back to Link.

"I have to get this dress off _right_ now. Or I'll go insane."

"Feel free," he joked.

Link had all but moved into her room. These days, instead of returning to his house to get everything, he just left all his important possessions in the dressing room of Meghan's bathroom. No one ever went in there, so she dubbed it the "Link's Stuff Room."

Meghan tore off the beautiful dress. She liked it, but wearing it was always a different thing. She wore pants most of the time…and might have started a bit of a fashion trend in Hyrule.

She put on her newest pajamas, a cami-like top and shorts. Link hadn't known what to think when she'd put on her Earthly-comfortable pajamas last year. By now, he was totally used to it.

She opened her door to let him in. Hypocritically, if he'd ever thought Meghan was revealing _herself_ too much in her nightclothes (a very medieval notion that women shouldn't show too much skin), he liked to sleep with no shirt on.

Meghan didn't really mind. Nope nope.

She went to sit on her bed, reaching into her hair and trying to pull out the pins. Link sat beside her, and wordlessly she conveyed to him that she needed help pulling out the pins. She turned to face her balcony door as his hands gently tugged the pins from their place, letting her lengthy, dark brown hair fall to meet the rest of it. The ends of the hair brushed against the bed behind her. He loved how glossy and long it was…

She turned and smiled a thank you, and then she walked to the left side of the room where the doors to the balcony was. It was a beautiful and clear night. She opened the clear, glass doors, which were usually clouded over with chiffony cream colored curtains, but now she pulled them back and let the warm night air flow in.

"It's beautiful outside," she noted, and he came up behind her and snaked his arms around her waist. "What are those doing there?" she asked, noting a few extra additions to the balcony.

"It is," he spoke into her hair, admiring the night himself. The stars were clearly visible. "And Luke and I put those there."

"_Why_?"

"I thought we—'you,'" he corrected himself (lolz, _smooth_), "should make better use of the space."

There was furniture there, but not like inside furniture. The material was waterproof so it could be left out. They could sit out there, under the stars.

Yep, ok, maybe this gift was weird. But sweet.

They chose to sit at a comfy couch-like piece, staring up at the sky.

"Din, Nayru, and Farore. Remember when you told me they were in the stars?"

* * *

"_Meghan?"_

"_Oh, sorry. I daydreamed a bit." She let her hand fall from where it was resting on her stomach to the ground. It fell on top of his, and she didn't even know his hand had been there. She quickly and reflexively tried to move it, but his hand grasped hers before it could move. She turned her head, and saw him staring straight at her. She turned it back._

"_What's up?" she asked feebly. She was between starting to cry and starting to freak out over the fact that they were, once again, holding hands. She was unsure why sometimes it bothered her and sometimes it felt normal, natural._

"_Look at the stars."_

_She pointed up with her free hand. It was completely dark now, and the stars were visible and bright. "Do you have constellations?" _

"_Constellations?"_

"_You know, like people make things out of the stars. Like where I come from, there's the Big Dipper, and like the zodiac ones, and…and lots of other ones. They're just the shape of the stars' formations. I don't really know many."_

"_Oh, well, there have always been the goddesses in the sky." He pointed to the side, using their hands that were grasped together, pulling her arm up. What Meghan thought he pointed at were a bunch of stars, where if you connected the dots, looked like a stick figure with a ponytail. "That's Din. And that's Nayru." He pointed to the middle of the sky, straight above them. It looked like a stick figure with shoulder length hair._

"_Cool!" She was beginning to realize that this moment was like an extremely cliché movie scene. But it was cute nonetheless._

"_And Farore, my goddess, is over there." He pointed to the left where a stick figure with two pigtails was, then let their hands fall back to the grass._

"_That's cool. Better than my world's stars." She stared up at Nayru above her. _

_Nayru, what was the point? I came here, but what was the point? Am I going to go back? Will I die? I hope Link is all right.__ She turned her head and saw him staring up into the sky too. Her hand tingled, as he still held it tightly. She thought he was probably thinking the same thing as her. __I hope he'll be OK. That's all I ask for.__ She wasn't sure if she imagined it, or if it really happened, but she thought that the stars that made up the Nayru constellation glowed a little brighter. She chuckled. Cliché movie. Has to have a happy ending. It just has to…_

"_What's funny?"_

"_Nothing."_

* * *

**Thanks for reading! *love***_  
_


	3. He'll Make Me Forget

**Chapter II—He'll Make Me Forget ("What It Is To Burn" by Finch)**

* * *

Meghan woke up first, her back aching from the strange position she'd found herself in against Link's body. It wasn't freezing out, but it certainly wasn't warm anymore. Her exposed legs and arms had goose bumps along them, and Link's chest was cold to the touch. Her movement woke him.

It was early morning still, so neither wanted to move, but they had to, lest their body parts fall off in deadened black heaps.

They walked back into her room, throwing aside the extra bed coverings (as usual) and snuggling in beneath the covers. It was so comfortable that they fell back asleep insanely fast.

* * *

Zelda got up quietly from her bed, leaving Luke still quietly snoring. She wanted to check on the boy from yesterday, to make sure he was all right. She pulled on a robe over her nightgown and slippers on her feet, then whisked down the hallway in the early morning's light to the boy's room.

She knocked lightly, and heard the boy say something. She went in.

"Hello, good morning!" she said. The boy was up, alert, and much cleaner than last night. He was dressed, but as she expected, not sure what to do next.

He was also embarrassed, seeing Zelda in her not-so-formal clothing. Zelda took a seat at the couch and told him to sit next to her.

"Yesterday we sent people to your village. They should get there the day after tomorrow, if not sooner. We also sent a letter to someone who lives near you, and she sent word back that most things are fine and no one was seriously injured. If you would like to write to your family to see if they are all right, I can send letters back to her and she will deliver them to your family."

"My family's all right?" he asked, surprised. "I thought…my father had…"

"Everyone is alive!"

"Thank the goddesses! I thought he'd been killed when our house collapsed from the flames…"

"I'm sure he is no more than slightly injured. There's paper in that drawer over there. Write as much as you need to tell them. I'm going to come back soon. And breakfast is at ten this morning, and we'd like you to join us."

"Ah…are you…sure?"

"Definitely! So get writing. I will return soon!"

"Thank you! Thank you!" He stood, and Zelda did too.

"See you soon!"

* * *

Link woke up facing Meghan. Her face was serene in her sleep, her chest rising and falling steadily under the blanket. He turned the other way to read the clock on the wall. It was 9:35, and they were supposed to have breakfast with Luke and Zelda at ten. Link knew that Meghan would easily sleep in and miss it if he let her, so he got up and went to wake her.

She woke up quickly, turning to see his face. He smiled at her and leaned down to give her a kiss. She sat up, stretching out her legs and arms.

"Breakfast in twenty minutes," he reminded her. She nodded, yawning, attempting to wake herself, slumped over. He sat next to her on the edge of the bed. Then she remembered…

"My piano!" she cried. She couldn't see it because the door to her room was closed, but the beautiful instrument was right outside. She wanted to go play it, so she crawled to the end of the bed and slid off, magically wakened. She threw open the door to her room and sat at the fancy bench, the piano looking good enough to eat.

She lifted the cover over the keys, stark white and pitch black. She started to play nothing at all, random chords and arpeggios, which then turned into a melody. Link sat gone to sit at the couch behind her. She stopped playing that song and started playing a real piece, one of Chopin's Nocturnes, in E Minor.

In a few minutes, Link was at her side.

"I'm going to get dressed."

"OK," she responded without stopping. She looked to him, smiling, her fingers still moving.

"How do you do that?" he asked in wonder.

"I don't know," she laughed. It was natural to her, even if she hadn't played very often lately.

He laughed too and walked away. She got to the epic part of the song, with the gigantic leaps and unusual scales and trills. She played that part louder than the rest, but quieted when she made a mistake and got completely off track. She laughed and stopped playing, going to change.

It was nearly ten when Meghan was just finishing brushing her hair, the two sitting on the end of her bed as Meghan looked at the mirror. Link hadn't even run a comb through his (he was just that stunning anyway that he wouldn't have to) but she attacked him with her brush and combed his longish bangs, causing him to wince, then smile.

"Hey!" he said, catching her arms as they fussed over his hair. She laughed as he pushed her arms back. They got up and left the room.

* * *

Zelda led Erol to the room where the transporter was, a cylindrical apparatus they used to directly send notes to Sierace's cellar.

"Be careful, don't touch the blue part," Zelda warned. The apparatus was like a column, but in the middle the column disappeared and turned into a blue light.

She took his long note from him and carefully fed it into the transporter. He watched as it flew upwards into nowhere.

"Is that it?" he asked, amazed.

"It should be there now, yes. Sierace may not receive it right away, though. We'll check back soon, all right?"

"All right…"

He stared longingly into the blue, but he knew he couldn't do anything about it.

"Let's go eat now. You're probably hungry!"

"Yes, I am!"

* * *

When Meghan and Link got to the dining room, Zelda and Luke were there. There was also a young boy, several years younger than Meghan, sitting across from Zelda and Luke. Meghan realized that it was probably the boy from last night who'd come to get help for Sierace's settlement. She felt sad for the boy, who looked sad himself. Zelda and Luke were trying to cheer him up.

"Hello, you two!" Zelda said to them, and they smiled and greeted her. Meghan's eyes flashed to the boy, who stared at them. She smiled at him. She wondered if he noticed something different about her.

"Hey, guys!"

"Hi!" Luke responded.

"Hello," Link said.

"Meghan, Link, this is Erol Masitima."

"Hi!" Meghan waved. "Nice to meet you."

"Hello," Link said politely.

"Erol, this is Meghan," she gestured to her, "and Link."

"Nice to meet you," he said in Hylian, shyly. There was some recognition in his eyes when Zelda said Link's name. No doubt he knew exactly who Link was.

"You as well," Link said.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I was supposed to tell you…Sierace…Sierace Quinoa, she wanted me to tell you she was all right…I'm so sorry, I forgot!"

Link's eyes opened wide. "Oh! Thank you for letting me know! It's all right.

"Erol is going to join us for breakfast this morning."

"OK!" Meghan said, being enthusiastic to cheer him up.

"Great, come sit!

Their normal spots had been deterred; Zelda and Luke typically sat on the left side while Meghan and Link faced them from the other. She didn't want to make the boy uncomfortable by sitting next to him, but she also didn't want him to think that she didn't want to sit next him at all. She wouldn't mind either way.

She went to the seat next to him, and politely asked, "May I sit here? Do you mind?"

"Yes!" he said, all too loudly. "I mean, I don't mind at all."

"Are you sure?" she laughed.

"Yes!" He nodded fervently.

"OK." She sat down, and Link sat to her left.

"Oh, Link," Luke said, facing Link. "Last night Sierace sent us back a letter. She's fine, and everyone in her village is too. The fires or thieves didn't even reach her home. She's aiding the rebuilding now."

"That's good!" he said, sighing with relief. "I was worried."

"Erol, did you know Sierace at all?" Luke asked.

"I know her. My mother would talk to her, whenever she came to buy from us."

"Sierace is Link's cousin," Meghan filled Erol in, indicating to Link with her thumb.

"Oh!" he said, glancing at Link. "You were the guy who came last year to see Sierace. She came to buy from my mother that morning and told her that a family member was coming to visit, then next time she came, she said that you were the Hero!"

"That's him!" Meghan cried, laughing.

"Meghan!" Link scolded. He was being modest, but he knew he couldn't deny what he'd done.

"What? It's the truth!"

Just then, a waiter came out with the food. They all thanked him as he gave them their food, Zelda stopping him as he set her plate down to ask how his family was doing. She used his three children's names. The waiter smiled and responded that they were quite well. Then he left. Erol waited silently until everyone had picked up his or her fork and started chowing down, embarrassed again. He ate slowly, even compared to Meghan, who was always the last to finish eating no matter what.

After he'd swallowed a bite, Erol suddenly began coughing. Meghan turned in concern, worried he might have been choking, but then she remembered Hylians don't choke. Or supposedly they didn't. He turned his head away from the table, trying to stifle it.

"Oh, no!" Zelda said, worried, reaching her hands out slightly, although she couldn't hope to reach him across the table.

"Are you all right?" Meghan asked, hesitantly hovering her hand behind his shoulder.

"Y-yes," he managed to say between coughs, which were getting smaller. He soon stopped, turning red because everyone was staring at him.

"Are you sick?" Luke asked.

"I-I don't know…"

"I'm sure it's just a cold," Meghan said. "He was out in the woods for a long time. Do you feel sick otherwise? Headache? Stuffy nose? Sore throat?"

"No," he answered.

"Make sure you drink a lot of water."

He reached forward to the glass at the corner of his plate and modestly took a sip of water.

Everyone looked on nervously. He was too embarrassed to start eating, but he wanted to so they would know he was perfectly fine.

Zelda looked worried for a second, then smiled. "You'll be fine."

Meghan nodded and took another bite of fruit. Erol took another small bite.

Meghan tried to divert the attention from him. "So what are we going to do today?" she asked. Link shrugged.

"We could take out Soe for some practice?"

"Good idea! I'm for it. Wanna come?"

"No, no, that's all right. We have things to do."

"Yeah, I have things to do here," Luke said. "Guards are complaining about the lack of work on the job. I need to get that sorted out." He grinned his signature grin. "I might have to dress in black and run around in the dark, fake a few robberies."

Everyone laughed.

"Oh," she turned to Erol, "Do you want to come to the field with us?" She hadn't meant to exclude him, she just forgot that he…might want to do something…

"N-no! No, that's fine, I'll stay here."

"Are you sure? You are more than welcome. We can show you around. You haven't been to Hyrule before, have you?"

"No, I haven't but it's fine."

Link looked at him, then back to Meghan.

"Erol, if you start to not feel well, tell me and I'll send for the doctor," Zelda said kindly.

He nodded.

When Meghan left, Zelda told him that Meghan was from an advanced country that knew a lot about medicine, skipping the whole other-dimension and God-Fight part.

"What country is that?"

"It's really quite far away. It's called 'America…'"

* * *

After they'd gone to her room to get Soe and Link's sword, Meghan and Link left for Hyrule Field. Meghan held Soe in her hands, not yet putting her on. When they'd reached the flat part of Hyrule Field they always used to practice, Meghan started to try to attach the sword. After a second of frustration, she planted her butt on the floor and continued trying. He patiently waited until she had it perfect, defying gravity but not cutting off her circulation.

"This is so amazing," she said, pulling her out of the sheath. She swung it around, and it felt like dancing. "It's like an extension of my arm! The Kokiri Sword never felt like this, it only felt like a piece of metal on a stick."

"I had hoped the design would fit you better! I'm sure you'll improve more quickly."

"But just for fun, because I won't ever need to use it for anything ever again!"

"Yeah."

"Unless those icky thieves from Sierace's village come here. Then I'll beat them up for hurting Erol's family!"

"Yeah, but I doubt they'll come here. They were going the opposite way. They should have been here first if they wanted to."

"I think they were just scared to do anything here because they know you're here!"

"And you! And Zelda, and Luke."

"And just about anyone else who could kick their butts in two seconds."

"I'm not so sure if it'll take seconds. I have this weird feeling about that whole situation." He frowned.

"Really?" She paused, and then smiled. "Like, Hero of Time bad feelings?" She laughed once, but her smile faded.

She'd meant it as a joke, but his reply was completely serious.

"Yeah, like really bad sorts of things."

"Really?"

"Yeah," he said reluctantly, not wishing that to be the case.

"Maybe you're just overreacting," she tried to comfort.

"Probably. Maybe I should go to see what happened." He paused. "_We_ should go. But then again, probably I'm just overreacting again. But I do wish I could help, and we can visit Sierace while we're there. What do you think?"

"Yes!"

"Well, maybe Luke and Zelda will take care of it for now." He sighed. "I don't want to interfere with their plans."

"Yeah…but I'm sure it's fine."

"Come on, let's have a friendly duel." He smirked.

"Yay!"

Meghan and Link rushed forward to meet each other with their swords. Despite its thinness, Meghan could tell Soe was strong against Link's sword, the Biggoron Sword, which was big and strong itself. The swords were similar, sharing the same maker.

She danced around with her new weapon, more graceful than before. As if the sword itself bestowed new skill upon her, she soon felt like she knew what she was doing after all. They'd been working all year on her sword skills and she had a solid base of technique.

Link's sword hit hers with a new vigor she'd never felt before. He always held back, and she was never good enough for him to use full strength. He was using more than ever before, and it made her nervous.

She knew he could never hurt her, but to be on the receiving end of a deadly blade was still scary. She deflected a blow and ducked behind him, her sword following effortlessly. She hit his arm with her blade, forgetting the warning he'd given her yesterday about it being extremely sharp. She'd meant to stop, but she misjudged where his arm exactly had been

Preternaturally sharp. With the slight movement, it cut through his shirt and into his arm. He flinched back and she dropped her sword in shock.

"Oh goddesses! I'm so sorry! I forgot it was so sharp, but I really didn't think it'd do that! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

She skipped forward to him. He'd replaced his sword in its sheath and was inspecting his cut, which wasn't large but a bit deep. She took his arm and inspected it herself; always forgetting he'd be fine but feeling pain. She poked it with her finger, her curiosity growing and caught it being a little bit sticky from the seluric material.

"Hey!" he shouted as she poked the wound, which only hurt a bit.

"Ah, sorry! Sorry! I should have been more careful!"

She let go of his arm. He looked at her but smiled and chuckled. "No, I should know better. I gave Soe to you, after all. It's my fault if I want to fight with you."

"OK, but I'm still sorry."

"However, you should know better than to poke my injuries!"

"Sorry! I was curious. We don't exactly cut people open at the lab. I needed to know if you could feel the seluric material." She grinned. She was very curious about the cut. Her studies in the lab with Sheftali were about the mysterious Hylian organ called the Selura, with made a sticky platelet-like substance that was secreted onto a wound before blood could get out.

"You and those theories!"

"They're hypotheses! Yet untested!"

"Whatever!"

They both laughed. Meghan went to find Soe and replaced her in the sheath when she had.

"Hmm, what do you want to do now?" she asked.

"Whatever you want to do."

"I sorta want to play my piano more. It's the most beautiful instrument ever!"

"Sure, come on."

They trekked back, Soe safe within her sheath.

* * *

She lifted the cover from the piano, again placing her hands on the perfect ivory-white keys. Link pulled out the old ocarina—the one Saria had given him. She laughed and started playing a Muse song called "Butterflies and Hurricanes." She hadn't played it in forever, so it was inevitable that she made many, many mistakes. But one part, the bridge, she knew by heart from anywhere in any time. It was full of flowing arpeggios, so fast her hands could hardly keep up with one another.

"Good job!

"Ah, no! Mathew Bellamy can play it like six-thousand trillion times better than me!"

"Which one was Mathew Bellamy?' he asked. She'd told him about all her favorite bands, but he forgot which singers went to which bands.

"Muse's singer slash pianist slash guitarist!"

"Oh, yeah!"

* * *

"Erol, a note was sent back. It's addressed to you."

Luke handed Erol a long note, folded over and sealed. He'd returned to his room, but a while later Luke knocked on the door and told him this.

Erol took the note with a thank you, but impatiently opened it. Luke stood back, not wanting to intrude, but he did want to know what had happened.

The note was from his father and mother. They told him that they were fine, though his father had suffered many burns and a broken arm. His siblings (younger twin sisters) were perfect, but their house and their shop had been burned, along with just about everything they owned. Erol's eyes started to tear as he read, but he didn't want to seem weak so he held them back.

Luke stood leaning against the doorway the whole time, waiting to ask a few questions.

Erol looked up at him when he finished.

"Everything's all right?" Luke asked, judging from Erol's _not_ sad expression (though it wasn't exactly happy).

"Everyone is, but everything is ruined. Our house was burned to the ground, along with everything we own, and our store. We'll have nothing to sell anymore. At least for a while."

"Well, I sent a lot of food with the group that went to help. And also some carpenters."

"Oh. My family is living with Sierace for now. Another family's home was burned down and they're staying with their neighbors."

"We'll build them back, don't worry."

"I hope you sent a lot of food, because that's what we sold. My father farmed. A lot of people were dependant on us for vegetables." He hoped at least some of his father's crops had survived.

"Yes, we sent a lot."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, relax. Everyone will be fine—"

Erol started coughing again. Luke walked over and put his hand on Erol's shoulder, leaning down in worry.

Erol shook his head and gestured to Luke that he was fine, though he clearly wasn't and kept coughing. Luke didn't know what to do for the boy, but soon he slowed down and was gasping for air. Luke led him to the couch and told him to sit.

"I think we should send you to a doctor."

"I'll be fine! Sorry!"

"Don't apologize! You should probably rest more, though!"

"I'm not tired..."

"You might not be, but you body is. Please, your family doesn't need you to be sick for your return. Rest now and you won't regret it later."

"All right…"

"The kitchen is just down the hall if you need anything. Should I get you something, maybe?" Luke really had no idea how to help him. Sickness wasn't his forte.

"I'm fine, I'll get it if I need it."

"All right. I need to go, but just get anyone if you need anything. Granice in the kitchen will know how to find us."

"Yes, I will," he said.

Luke walked to the door, saying good-bye. He closed the door behind him, leaving Erol thinking.

He didn't want to tell anyone, but he felt much worse than he let on.

* * *

"There's this new restaurant in Hyrule Castle Town that's supposed to have great food. Want to go tonight?"

Meghan was still at her piano, still playing ueven though it was much later. She spun on the glossy bench (which was always fun) and faced him.

"Hmm…depends on who's paying!"

He laughed. "Of course I'm paying, if that's what you're hinting at," he said, puzzled. That wasn't something she typically asked.

"Then I'm not going," she said simply, teasingly. She turned back to the piano and played the first eight notes to Beethoven's Symphony No. 5. Of course he'd never heard it so it wasn't funny to him.

"You're not going because I'm going to treat you to dinner?"

"Yeah, basically," she said without turning.

He tipped his head to the side, still confused about her apparent lack of interest. She loved when he asked her on dates. "But I really wanted to go! I was sure you'd say yes…" He sat on the edge of the coffee table, behind her.

"Well, Link," she said, turning again, "My dear, my love, I've been working for months now, and my paychecks are going nowhere. I've bought _maybe_ two things with my own money."

"So? That's OK, save the money. It could be useful in the future." He could think of a few things she could save it for.

"But it's not _cool_! I want to spend the money! It's the first time I've had a job and I think I deserve to actually use my first paycheck up, at the very least. Living here is waaay too easy." She sighed dramatically. But truthfully, she felt bad about living under Zelda's hospitality. She wanted to leave yet didn't at all, at the same time.

"I still want to go—"

"OK, then. Sit here," she said, getting up. He looked at her questioningly, but sat anyway at the piano. "Now turn and play something!"

"I can't really play—"

"I don't care, just plonk something out. You can do it."

He turned and touched a single note with his finger. Meghan went to the other side of the room, then walked back.

"There's a new restaurant in Hyrule Castle Town that is supposed to have great food. Wanna go tonight?"

He turned around, trying to hold his laughter.

"Depends on who is paying!" he copied.

"Me, of course silly head!"

"But I have all this money that I'm _dying_ to waste when I can go for free with my loveable—OK, I'll go with you."

She laughed and smiled, hugging him tightly.

"You can buy the _most_ expensive thing on the menu."

"Oh, believe me, I will."

* * *

They both changed into nicer clothes, Meghan with a cute Hylian form of a little black dress and Link into a dark red shirt and tan pants.

"You look nice," she said as she tied back her hair, peeking at him through the mirror in her room as he walked in.

"You look even more than nice."

"Thank you."

She took her brush and stabbed it through his hair again, even though it looked just as nice before and after. In fact, it looked the same.

"I love your hair," she cooed. He laughed.

"Thanks."

They left, holding hands. They looked like an insanely cute couple.

The restaurant was deep into the town, behind the front square. It was a very cute looking place, and very pretty. And very romantic.

The maitre dude seated them at a two-person table near the corner. The place was a bit full, but there was nobody they knew well. Still, people greeted them. Well, him.

The menu was small; it was a fancy piece of paper, words written in Hylian carefully across the page.

"That thing is the most expensive!" she squealed, pointing to it. She didn't really know what it was. There were so many Hylian dish names that she would never learn them all, but the description sounded good. He grinned.

"I don't know…"

"Oh, but you must get it!"

"What if I don't like it?"

"Then get something else!"

"How about you get the most expensive thing and I'll get something relatively expensive?"

"No, you _have_ to!"

"OK, fine!" he chuckled. "I'll get it."

They were brought soup as the first course, then they ordered. A bit later, their food arrived. It was the some of the most delicious food ever, Link's expensive dish being something like eggplant with a spicy, savory sauce that reminded Meghan of Chinese food. She was extremely happy.

"But now I feel bad, because that really was expensive."

"No, not for me! I promise."

They stared in each other's eyes. The dark atmosphere made Link's darker than usual, almost mysterious looking. Meghan's eyes shone gold in the candles behind Link.. Then the waitress came over to tell them how much money Meghan owed. She pulled out of her reverie to find her rupees.

The meal had cost ninety-four rupees. It was insanely priced, but Meghan didn't care at all. He frowned as she handed over the money, her shiny two purple rupees. The girl came back with her change, and they stood to leave.

She took his hand, her thoughts elsewhere. That look in his eyes was one she hadn't seen in a long time. She knew what it meant, those hypnotizing eyes. They were desperate, needy, and wanting. Not that she minded, because she felt the same way, but it made her feel slightly uneasy because he could just _have_ her like that. She couldn't ever protest.

"Megs? What's wrong? You seem distant."

"Oh…nothing!" She couldn't exactly tell him, explain to him how he had a hold over her.

"Are you sure?" He stopped her to look at her. She smiled, halfheartedly, and nodded. He wasn't so convinced, but they continued walking back, hands grasped.

It was dark, and the town was quiet in the moonlight, streetlamps lighting the cobbled pathway just enough. "That was really fun and good," she said finally, when they were in view of the castle. "I'm glad you asked me to go." She swung their attached hands.

"Thank you for paying."

"Oh, enough with that! I wanted to."

"I know. But thanks anyway."

She sighed. "Any time, love."

* * *

Zelda went to visit Erol, who was sleeping by then. She didn't mean to wake him, but she did accidentally.

His coughing fit started as soon as he sat up. Zelda went to help him.

"Erol, I think I should send for a doctor."

"Queen Zelda, I thank you, but you shouldn't. I promise I will be fine," he said tiredly.

"Erol, you are in pain."

"No, I'm just coughing."

"I it is more than that." She looked at him expectantly.

"Yes…" he sighed. "I have this terrible pain in my stomach, like something's eating away at it. And I feel light headed."

"You should drink more water. I'll get it."

She was gone so quickly, then back at the door in a few seconds. She brought it to him, leaving a pitcher on the nightstand so he could have it later. "I am going to tell a doctor."

"I'll be fine," he protested.

"Can Meghan at least look at you? She is not a doctor, but she is learning." Meghan studied biology with Sheftali, Hyrule's premier biologist, several days a week, and scoured the castle library for any medical information, new and old. She had plans to begin training with a local doctor once Sheftali deemed her background knowledge to be sufficient.

"I suppose, but I don't want to make a hassle for her."

"She will not mind a bit. It will actually make her happy."

"I doubt there's anything wrong. I just feel overly tired."

"It is better to treat it now before it gets worse."

"Yes, I suppose…"

"Thank you, Erol, dear. I will find her."

* * *

Meghan and Link were just returning to her room when Zelda caught up with them. She explained to Meghan that Erol refused to see a doctor but would let her examine him. Meghan agreed, glad to be distracted by something other than the hypnotic boy beside her. Link came along too, but Meghan was on business now so he didn't intervene. He was amazed by her love and drive for anything medical or biology related, as always.

She got her kit of tools, some of which she'd helped create from modern design. A stethoscope, a thermometer, and even a crude sphygmomanometer.

Erol was sitting in his bed when they got there, fully dressed now.

"Hi, Erol," she said in her very best Hylian. Her accent was still foreign to him, but she tried to make him comfortable as possible. She walked to him, Zelda trailing behind and Link staying at the door. "So, what's the matter?"

"I…I'm coughing a lot. And…I have a bad pain in my stomach. And I feel dizzy sometimes. Not right now, though. Mostly when I stand up."

"All right." She took out her tools, thinking this would be a _million_ times easier if she had a medical degree, or if she knew more about Hylian diseases.

She looked in his mouth, determining his airway to be clear. She told him to take deep breaths, and told him she was listening for any sound indicating congestion or infection with the stethescope (wheezing, rales, rhonchi) in his lungs. She heard nothing, though she listened for a while. He was confused by the strange snakelike instrument in her ears, but stayed quiet. She took his pulse while counting his respirations, both of which seemed normal, so she stuck the clean thermometer in his mouth. The temperature on the thermometer steadily rose, but didn't seem high. She asked him a few questions, and explained what she was doing.

Next she looked inside his throat (telling him to say "aaa!"), which was very hard in the dim light. The best she and Zelda could do was to hold a candle close to his mouth, but what she really needed was a flashlight. She didn't notice any extreme red color or splotches in his throat. She felt the glands in his neck, but they were not swollen.

She took his blood pressure, and although it seemed a bit low for a Hylian, it wasn't low enough to cause any sort of panic. Hylian blood pressures seemed to run a lot higher than human ones, possibly from the flow of seluric material in their bodies. She sighed, not knowing what to do next. She felt bad, because she didn't know _that_ much.

"Right now I don't see anything wrong exactly. I'll talk to Sheftali as soon as I can to see if she knows anything. Meanwhile, I really think you should see a real doctor tomorrow." She told him to get rest and drink plenty of water. They would bring him a healthy breakfast in the morning.

They all left him for the night, but Zelda left a night guard outside his door to listen in case he was in trouble during the night. As Link escorted Meghan back to her room, she was even more quiet and distant than before. She was slightly upset that she couldn't help the boy at all, really. She stared at the ground as she walked, thinking of what she could do. Maybe she wouldn't be such a great doctor, if she let things get to her like this. Then again, she didn't know everything she should, so maybe when she was a real doctor, she would feel more confident. At least right now she was sure nothing life-threatening was happening.

"Hey," Link said softly, taking one of her hands into both of his. She looked at him emptily. His eyes were back to normal now, or maybe she just didn't notice.

"Hey," she answered softly, in a sigh.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she answered. It was an obvious lie.

They were at her door now, and she opened it. She went and sat at her piano bench, dropping her bag next to her. He sat in a chair facing her. She pulled off her shoes and pulled her legs up, sitting with her legs to the side, then looked up at his face, confused, worried. Liam came over to greet them from where he was lying on the couch. Meghan petted him absentmindedly.

"Can't you tell me?" he said after a few seconds.

She sighed again. "I just wish I could do something for Erol. I feel so bad."

"You shouldn't. It's not your fault at all. You can't be expected to know everything. You're only seventeen, and you're still learning."

"But I should. They called me to help, not a doctor. I couldn't even do anything. I let him down, and Zelda."

"Zelda will understand perfectly fine. And Erol wanted _you_, he wouldn't see a doctor. Zelda told us that."

"I guess you're right." She wanted to argue, to say that she probably just made Erol more worried. But she was only saying these things so _he_ would say things back to her that would make her feel better. She didn't actually believe any of what he said. She was being selfish.

_Like a bad star, I'm falling faster down to her  
She's the only one who knows what it is to burn_

She walked over to him, sitting sideways in his lap, her arms around his neck. He sat back in the chair, pulling her close to him. Her legs, bare from the thigh down, hung over the arm of the chair. He kissed her on the forehead, and then played with her hair behind her back. They sat like that for a while.

He pulled her hair down from its style, the dark brown mass cascading over her shoulders. Her cheek was resting against his chest, but she moved her head to give him a questioning look.

"I like your hair down_,_" he said, smiling very slightly in admiration.

"Oh."

Very slowly, hesitantly, he moved his lips to hers and kissed her, his hands almost tangled within her hair. She pulled herself closer, one of her hands on his face. Meghan was captivated by the look that had returned in his eyes, so needy and entrancing. It was the least she could do to give herself to him, since she did belong to him completely, and because he'd always given her so much.

He pulled her face close to his again, kissing her in a way she'd never felt before. It was more. Just more. More everything. Her stomach flipped.

His hands slid out of her hair and down her back, one landing on her leg. Before she knew it, he had her standing up, though he was still locked to her.

She was going backwards, one of his hands on her hip gently guiding her and the other on her face. Her leg hit the couch behind her and she lost her balance, falling on her back. As though that was his plan all along, he landed gently on top of her, barely even there. Her mind was blank, her breath shaky. She couldn't even stop him, she loved him so much, but she couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy. Still, she couldn't do anything. She was returning everything he did. His hands caressed her in places that made her squirm, and his lips slowly kissed her smooth skin.

Then, so suddenly it nearly made her shriek, there was a knock at her door. She struggled to sit upright.

"_Just ignore it_," he breathed. She was about to listen to what he said, when they heard Zelda's voice call to them.

"_She can come in_!" she hissed back, finally clear-headed enough to resist it. He nodded and they scrambled upright, the two out of breath more than they should have been. Her dress was displaced on her body and she was completely frazzled, her cheeks promptly turning dark red. "_Ah…um…you go in my room! Now_!" she whispered to him. He nodded and proceeded quietly. She stood and ran around in a circle.

"Meghan?"

"Ah, hold on a second, Zelda!" She was spazzing. Wait! She could pretend to be getting dressed. "I'm getting dressed…"

"In your sitting room?"

"No!"

"Then I'll just come in—"

"Ah, OK!"

Meghan ran into to her room, closing it so only her face was sticking out, as if she was yelling to Zelda from behind the door with no clothes on. Zelda opened the door just in time, and Meghan smiled.

"Meghan! You're red as a berry!"

"Because I'm half naked!" she laughed, hoping that might work.

"Finish getting dressed!" Zelda laughed back, sitting on the same couch where she and Link just were. Two of the pillows had fallen to the floor, and the other two were laying flat on the couch.

"Oh my, what happened to this couch?"

"Liam! Did it!" Meghan called, as she hurried Link into the corner of the room so she could change quickly. She told him to turn and close his eyes. She pulled off the dress and ran to her closet, tearing out her old pajamas because they were the first ones she saw.

She opened the door to greet Zelda, hoping her face was more of a normal color.

"Hi, sorry!" she nearly screamed, going to sit outside. She steered well clear of the chair and couch and sat on her piano bench. Zelda had picked up the pillows on the couch. Liam was sitting at her feet, panting at her and hoping for a scratch behind the ears or something.

"That's all right. I just came to ask you something quickly about Erol."

Meghan's heart sank. Link had made her forget about her worrying, but now she did remember.

"OK…"

"Well, he said his stomach was hurting. Do you think he ate something?"

"If he was poisoned, wouldn't you be able to heal him?"

"I suppose I would have been able to…" She sighed. "I am just so worried."

"Me too."

"I can't send him back to his parents, sick like this. I am calling on the doctor first thing in the morning." Meghan nodded, thinking that was the best idea.

"Oh, by the way, where's Link?"

"Oh…he's around here somewhere…"

She was sure her face was turning red again. One thing after another! She wished she could live without embarrassment.

Zelda looked in the direction of her bedroom. "Oh, he's—"

Then heard the door from Meghan's balcony open and close (just a bit too loudly) and Meghan turned to see Link walking to the door. Zelda couldn't see him from where she sat, but Meghan could. He'd just opened and closed it.

"Oh, he was outside."

"Oh, hello then!"

"Hi, Zelda." He walked to the door to the bedroom, leaning against the doorframe. "What brings you here?" he asked with a smile.

"I just needed to ask Meghan a question, that's all. I guess maybe I am just worrying too much," she said to Meghan.

Meghan nodded and smiled. "If you weren't worrying, I'd thinking someone took over your body. Invasion of Body Snatchers and stuff." At the blank looks and knowing laughs she received, she continued, "He'll be fine. Tomorrow we bring him to a real doctor."

"Yes, that we shall." She stood, Liam bouncing to his feet. She bent down very slightly (he was so tall) and petted him, then said, "I will talk to you two tomorrow. You're going to the lab tomorrow, right, Meghan?"

"Yes."

"Then I will come too, if you won't mind."

"No, of course not!"

"All right. Then goodnight!"

Zelda walked to Link and gave him a hug, then did the same to Meghan. Meghan was embarrassed again, almost as though she thought Zelda could smell Link on her. Even though she was sure she couldn't.

…Could she?

Liam followed her to the door and Meghan had to tell him to stay so he wouldn't follow Zelda out the door. As soon as it was closed, she turned to Link, who was too conveniently placed at her doorway.

"That was close," he said, smirking the mischievous smile she knew well. She nodded, telling him "excuse me" so she could change into her real pajamas. He followed her in, so she couldn't close the door on him. She stared questioningly. He had his arms crossed, smile gone now.

She didn't want to tell him to get out, because she thought it would be mean, so she just went to get her clothes and sat on the bed. He sighed and turned around, closing the door, but he was still inside. He stood facing the other way, and after a few seconds of making sure he was staying there and not looking, she began peeling her clothes off.

When she was nearly finished, he started to talk.

Quietly, gently, his voice broke the silence. "Are you angry with me?" He sounded confused.

She finished pulling her shorts on, still silent. She stared at the back of his head, her breathing shallow, trying to figure out what to say.

As though he knew she was finished, he turned back around. She felt like a child in his presence, so little, so immature about everything.

She didn't look at his face; rather she just stared off to the side. Then she started shaking her head, shaking and shaking and shaking.

"I…I didn't want to make you uncomfortable, or anything. If that's what's wrong," he continued, now unsure of himself.

"No," she said.

"This is the third time today you've been lethargic like this. I'm beginning to think I did something wrong."

"No!" she cried, finally looking at him and shaking her head. "No, no! No! It has nothing to do with you. I promise, I swear." She paused and bit her lip. "I was just embarrassed, that's all. She was…so close to seeing…that…"

She didn't know how to word it. Their _make out session_? Did he even know what that meant in English? Those weren't words she used.

He nodded. "Me too."

"I'd rather…not think of that, though. I mean…you know, not think of Zelda coming in. On us."

"Yeah."

But it didn't bother him nearly as much as it did for her. He wasn't sure whether it was because he was used to knowing when things like that were happening to Zelda, or if it was because he just wasn't ashamed.

The moment just before Zelda popped in flashed through her mind again, probably making her red yet again.

He excused himself and went to change. She wasn't tired one bit, so she went to sit outside.

She chose a chair to sit on, nice and small for only one person. She didn't know why she was suddenly averted to the idea of him sitting next to her. She didn't even know why she didn't like the idea of him kissing her again in the way he had before. In theory, it was perfect. In practice? It was terrifying.

He came back, seeing her stare out to the stars so distractedly. He wanted to comfort her, but he was sure she didn't want him to.

He was afraid that he might have done something to put a dent in their relationship. All he wanted was her to be happy and he thought he might have marred her happiness. It made him uncomfortable. He wasn't used to be afraid of things.

She was so beautiful in the moonlight, but the natural glow she usually let off wasn't there. His heart cried for her. He went to sit outside.

He chose the couch. She had expected him to sit in a chair like she was, but he sat at the couch. She turned her head and smiled at him, knowing she should go sit with him. He looked lonely. And so far away. It brought tears to her eyes.

"I'm tired," she lied, the silence shattered. He nodded, agreeing. She sat there a few moments, looking down to her lap. Then she stood and walked back inside.

She ripped the extra things off the bed, throwing them to the side. She was starting to think Link wasn't coming, and that made her panic. She sat on the edge of the bed, watching him from behind.

But he did, a few minutes later. He stood, a silhouette in the moonlight, the outline of his defined muscles flexing as he stretched. He turned, peering through the open balcony door in the dim light. Tentative. She watched him go to the other side of the bed, where he always slept. She lay down and curled into a ball, facing him. His eyes were alert.

She turned to blow out the candle beside her on the nightstand. She didn't turn back around.

"Meghan," he pronounced very carefully. "I did it to make you forget. I know things were bothering you about Erol."

"Don't you…ever do things for yourself?" Again, with the doing things for _her_!

"What?"

"Because _I_ did it because I thought _you_ wanted me to. Didn't you want me?"

"Of course! I do. I _did_."

"But you were only doing it for me?"

"I didn't say I was _only_ doing it for you. Of _course_ I'll always want you, if you want me too."

"Always?"

"I promise."

They were silent again, Meghan still facing the other way.

"I was stupid. I only made you feel worse. I'll never do it again."

"No," she said. "No, that's not even it." She turned and faced him. His head was propped up on his arm. "I don't know why I feel like this. Just stupid things are setting me off. It must be like…some stupid Hylian hormones or something. I mean, I saw you sitting by yourself outside just now and it made me want to cry, so that's why I came in. Who _does_ that?"

"Oh…so…that's what it is?"

"I don't know. I'm just saying…I feel really weird. I'm sorry it had to be now."

"Don't be sorry. We can't really control what we feel, I guess."

"Mhm."

She felt so confused then. Thinking about everything. Erol, Link, herself, Zelda. Everything was swirling around her.

"Maybe…I should go sleep on the sofa, for tonight…" He spoke very quietly. His eyes moved to the door in the dark and he started sitting up.

"No!" she yelled, sitting up, facing him straight on. "Please, please don't…"

He nodded and lay his head down gently on the pillow, watching her. She copied his movements and the gap between them was raging like a pit of overflowing, boiling lava.

God, if he'd gone to sleep on the couch, what would that mean for them? It was terrifying, and for possibly the first time in her life, she had the idea that relationships were fragile. They had to be taken care of, like children. God, _no_. Link. Don't even get that idea ever again.

Soon her thoughts began to drift. She thought of how she could help Erol. She thought of his town, which had been ruined. She thought of how Zelda was worried too. She wondered who it was that stole and burned Erol's village. Mostly, though, she thought of Link. What he'd done today. They'd had their spur of the moment little passionate kisses a lot of the time, but this time it was so different. It was older. As though now that she was seventeen, she could handle more of it. He was a year and a half older than she was, and in many cases, a year and a half more mature in some areas. He'd obviously never had any other significant other figure in his lifetime either, but he just seemed to know how to go about thing more than she did. And he'd never even seen all the romantic movies or TV shows she had.

How could he possibly know anything more than she did? But she figured out it was just because he was _her _Link. Anything about him was perfect.

They lay farther apart than usual. He gave her space for tonight. She stared into his perfect face as his eyes closed, thinking. Even after she'd changed positions a thousand times, and even though she soon noticed him snoozing along beside her, she didn't fall asleep for a long time.

* * *

**The dress she wore was based on a BCBG Max Azria dress. If you wanted to know. XD Also, this chapter has several associated songs at different points, so if you're interested, check out "Bridge and Tunnel (slow version)" by The Honorary Title and "Me vs Maradona vs Elvis" by Brand New.**

**Thanks for reading! *love***


	4. This Shouldn't Be Happening

**Chapter II Part II—This Shouldn't Be Happening. ("Act Appalled"—Circa Survive)**

* * *

It was freezing. Freezing cold. The thin blanket wasn't doing anything for her. She was curled up tight.

It was barely light and she could only just see him across from her. Instinctively, she rolled over closer to him, to gather his warmth.

He woke then, putting his arm around her as though he was protecting her from the cold. She was shivering as she slowly warmed, and he soon noticed the abnormal cold himself.

Neither remembered the night before. The only thing they could remember was that they loved each other. They'd always be there for each other.

* * *

The memories flooded back to him all at once as he woke again. She was there, holding onto his hand so tightly in the cold, curled up next to him. He gently disentangled himself, sure that she had done it in her sleep, barely conscious. She probably wouldn't want to find herself like that when she woke. Maybe he'd been protecting her from the cold, since he always seemed to be protecting her from something. But now he needed to protect her from himself.

Most of the chill had disappeared, but it was still abnormally cold for the time of year. He forced himself to get out of bed, then picked up of the fluffier, warmer blankets folded on the floor and gently covered her sleeping form. He went to go get dressed, even though it was early and he was still feeling tired.

Liam's head popped up when Link opened the door to the bedroom. He slowly got off the couch and stretched, his giant mouth yawning. He walked slowly to Link, wagging his tail. Link leaned down to pet him for a few seconds.

After he was completely dressed, he went to go see Meghan. Even in sleep, she was absolutely beautiful to him. He sat on the floor on her side, watching her, thinking.

Shouldn't he be the least bit offended that she didn't want anything to do with him last night? But he wasn't. He knew in his heart that she wasn't angry with him. She was probably just confused, like he was. He wanted everything about her. He was sure of that. His self-esteem took a small hit, though, because it was the first time he'd tried something so daring. Their relationship was originally built on more emotional than physical needs and breaking the boundaries in between was often difficult.

She twisted around in her sleep so he couldn't see her face. He sighed and stood. It was later now and she would and should be waking soon, if she was going to go to the lab today. The problem was he didn't want to wake her. He normally would, but today he didn't want to. Right now, anyway.

He decided to go get them breakfast (with Liam). He knew it might set off another lecture of "don't you ever think of yourself?" But he was thinking of himself, wasn't he? He was hungry.

But he was getting it for all of them. He was. He ventured to the kitchen, saying a quiet and sleepy hello to the cook, Granice. She was just finishing with making everything, so he waited at her table for a second. She handed him everything on a tray, except Liam's huge bowl, which didn't fit. She offered to help him carry it back, but he shook his head and assured her he could get it all. He carried the heavy tray in one hand easily and the bowl in the other.

"Be careful!" Granice shouted after him as he walked away. He thanked her again.

Back in the room, he put the tray on the coffee table and Liam's food in its usual spot against the wall. He got Liam fresh water, like Meghan always did every morning.

He considered eating right then, to show he could be selfish. But although he tried, he couldn't get himself to even look at the food. He wasn't hungry in the least anymore.

"Link?" he heard, immediately looking into her bedroom. Meghan was sitting up, yawning. She looked around, and then saw him where he was in the sitting room.

"Hi," he said awkwardly. She got up, her face still sleepy and her hair messy, and walked delicately to him. She stood leaning against the doorframe.

"I, um, got breakfast for us. And Liam. You were sleeping."

She tilted her head to the side, opening her mouth.

"I know what you're going to say. I don't ever think of myself. But I couldn't, I mean, I was hungry too. And I got Liam's food. I just thought if I was going to eat I should get you something too. And then we should eat together."

"No," she said, smiling a morning, tired smile. "I wasn't going to say that. I was going to say that's so sweet of you. Thank you."

"Oh…"

She sat in a chair, pulling her knees to her chest. "Sit down," she instructed, laughing. He obeyed. She looked at him very carefully. Then she opened her mouth. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

She was frowning now. "I was a…um, for a lack of a better word, a _bitch_ last night. I probably made you feel like totally stupid and I feel horrible about it. You know I really love you, I trust you with my life and everything in it. Maybe that's because you _are_ my life and I trust you with yourself…but anyway, I deserve to be…like, hung from the ceiling by my toenails or something."

"Why?"

"Because I feel so horrible! You have no idea. It's…eating away at me right now. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't treat you like that. You deserve more."

"Don't feel like that!"

"Can we just forget _everything_? I mean, from when Zelda knocked at the door."

He nodded, very glad that she wasn't forgetting what happened _before_ Zelda got there, and then he grinned. "So if I don't remember what's-her-face doing whatever I don't remember, then why would we have stopped?"

She stared at him. What did he mean, _would have stopped_? They had to stop eventually! But she shook it off. She was being too serious. He was only joking.

"Because I was suffocating because you never let me breathe," she giggled.

Then _his_ face turned serious. "I'm sorry! I hope I didn't make you almost pass out—"

"No! It's fine. I was kidding." She paused. "I could _just_ breathe," she teased.

It was the most awkward subject to talk about, but she forced herself to not get embarrassed. Why _should_ she? There was something wrong with her. This was Link, her Link, her world, her everything, the one who she trusted to no end, the one who owned her, the one with whom she was the most comfortable out of anyone she'd ever known. She needed to get over herself. _Really_.

"I'm hungry. Thanks for getting this." She looked over to Liam, who was happily slopping up all his food.

"You're welcome. It's not as though I really did anything."

"OK! I get it. You were being utterly selfish. We're forgetting, right?"

He laughed. She stood and took one of the plates, sitting next to him on the couch. Delicious as always.

When she was finished eating, she gave him a tight hug, then pranced over to her room to get dressed.

* * *

Meghan wove her way down the back streets of Hyrule Castle Town with Link in tow. They got to Sheftali's house, where the laboratory was located in the large cellar. There was a separate door to the downstairs, to the side. She kissed Link goodbye and took out her key to open the door. He walked away as soon as she was in.

She went down the dark stairwell into the well-lit area of study. There were many things around, desks and tables with tubes and crude microscopes. Meghan donned a lab coat. (It made her feel official.)

Sheftali wasn't there yet, so Meghan pulled a few books of notes and diseases to see if she could find anything about Erol's symptoms. There wasn't much to work with, both from lack of information and the fact that Sheftali wasn't a medical doctor.

She heard the door open, and soon Sheftali's tall frame came into view.

"Hi!" Meghan said, closing the book. She saw Sheftali's beautiful peachy-blonde hair, and her lovely glowing skin.

"Hello, Meghan. Sorry, I meant to be here earlier, but I had to send Devan off to school. He can be so temperamental sometimes."

Meghan smiled and nodded. "So you said there was something you were wondering about?"

"Yeah." She pulled on her own lab coat. "Well, as you know, the seluric material hardens so quickly after it comes in contact with the oxygen in the air." She flipped her buoyant hair out of the coat and tied it back. "This makes it very hard to observe it under the microscope because it is usually a dense mass and the only way to observe it is to cut it into a thin sheet, which is often hard."

Meghan nodded. "So you want to find a way to keep it liquid?"

"Maybe not keep it that way, but turn it back?"

"Then we'd probably need a substance that will react with the oxygen, right?"

"Yes."

"It would help if we knew what the other substances were in the material, right?"

"Yes, it would."

"Oh my. I'm bad at chemistry. I wish I'd had the chance to take more in school."

* * *

Zelda had woken Luke early that morning with her worries about Erol. What if it was serious? She couldn't let him get so sick. His family didn't need that, on top of everything else.

When she went to see how he was doing, he was sleeping. She decided to come back later. It was a few hours later that she went back, in between the things she was doing. This time he had just woken up, looking pale and sicker than the day before.

He began another coughing fit while she was talking to him. She told him that she was going to get a doctor and he had no choice in the matter. He nodded, out of breath.

The doctor came and did various tests, and found no true correlation between all his symptoms. The doctor asked to use the Royal Library, and Zelda, of course, told him to feel free if he thought he might be able to find the answer there.

She sat in the room with Erol, who seemed so small in his sickness compared to when she first saw him. Luke had to come get her because she was needed for her duties as queen, but she promised Erol she'd return as soon as possible. She posted the guard inside the room, this time, as she left.

* * *

It was several hours into their experiments, and nothing seemed to be working. They'd tried various acids and substances on seluric material, but nothing seemed to do anything to it.

When they were finally about to do their last experiment for the day, they heard the door open. Zelda rushed in.

"I'm so sorry, but I had a lot of things to do. I hope I'm not too late to contribute what I can."

"No, Zelda, we still have another substance to try."

"We're trying to liquefy material!" Meghan added, using the nickname for the seluric material they all used: _material_.

"Oh, yes, Sheftali, you told me about this. What is it that you are trying?"

"It's a mix between these two acids. You should put your lab coat on for this. We don't want anything to get on ourselves."

Zelda did so, and then joined them at a table. The repeated the experiment exactly as the times before, using the same amount of material and the same amount of acid. Meghan poured the acid as Sheftali took notes.

At first, it only sizzled, but they nearly cried in excitement when the material began to liquefy, back to its original state.

"It worked!" Meghan cried. She jumped up and down, watching the material finish bubbling.

"Oh, wonderful!"

"It must be because Zellie is here!" Meghan joked. Things generally went right when Zelda showed up.

"No!" Zelda protested. "Just luck!"

They carefully repeated the experiment, getting the same result. Sheftali rushed the sample under the microscope.

"Amazing!" she squealed, gesturing for the other two to come over and look. Zelda did first, and then moved so Meghan could see what they were talking about.

The cells were dead, but there were many rigid-looking cells floating around, as though they'd been broken apart. Meghan was very excited. She'd aided in a scientific discovery!

Unfortunately, she'd told Link to pick her up at two o'clock, which was only a few minutes away, so she had to go put away her coat and helped clean up what Sheftali wasn't going to use.

Zelda followed her out because she was going to see how Erol was. Link was waiting outside as Meghan locked the door. She greeted him and the three walked back to the center of town.

Link had brought Soe because they were going to practice again. They said goodbye to Zelda and went to the field again.

"I should take Galaxy for a ride," Meghan said thoughtfully. He nodded and proceeded in calling Epona, his beautiful red-brown mare with a white mane and tail. At Lon Lon, Meghan found her horse, Galaxy, in the paddock out in the field. She approached the gorgeous brown horse and he nickered in his own hello. She took him from the paddock and put on all his tack. They rode out of the ranch.

After they'd gone far into the field, near Lake Hylia, they decided to get off. Galaxy and Epona strayed a bit away, starting to graze.

They started their brawl again, and this time it went longer. Meghan got into it, barely thinking of anything but blocking and slashing and dodging. The two performed their dance of blades, breathing hard and growing tired. With Link holding himself back, neither had gotten close to winning. Their swords met in the middle, both holding them there. It took all of Meghan's strength to keep it, but it was sliding.

He pushed her backwards with a burst of strength, accidentally overdoing it because he'd gotten so engrossed in the battle. She tripped backwards and fell, catching herself with her hands. "Ow!" she said because her hand landed on Soe's hilt.

"Sorry!" he laughed, going to sit next to her, taking her hand and kissing it.

She laughed and rubbed her hand. "It's OK." She lay back in the grass and he followed. It reminded her of moments from a time long ago as they stared up to the sky.

* * *

"Erol?" Zelda called. He was still in the bed. He looked awful, and his voice was hoarse.

"Hello."

"Do you feel any better?"

"No."

As if on cue, his coughing began again. It was hard and deep and it made his eyes water. It was also painful in his throat.

"Oh Erol…" Zelda said as she went to him. He was slouched over, trying to stop, trying to breathe.

His hand was in front of his mouth still as it slowed down. He breathed heavily, and then he looked at his hand.

"Goddesses!" he yelled, putting his hand far away from himself as his arm would let him. "What…what is that?"

"What?" Zelda asked, looking at it. Splayed across his hand was a deep, red colored splotch. "Oh…my goddesses…I'll be right back."

She knew what it was.

She stepped back and was gone in an instant. She needed to find help, right then.

* * *

Meghan and Link stood up and went over to their horses. They were halfway to them when they heard a sound behind them. They turned to see Zelda running to them.

"Meghan! You must come to the castle right now! It's Erol. He's bleeding!"

"Bleeding?"

"Yes, you know, that _blood_! It is coming out of him, and I have no idea how. Please, we must hurry. I can teleport you there, but not all three of you."

"That's OK, you don't need me anyway," Link said. "Go."

"Come on!" Zelda took her by her arm and brought her to Erol's room. Meghan was temporarily dizzy, but she went to Erol right away.

"Where is he bleeding?" she asked, not seeing a wound, though his body was mostly covered in blankets.

"What's bleeding?" Erol asked, scared and panicked. "What is this?"

"He coughed it up."

"Oh…Zelda, I need my bag but it's in my room."

"Be right back."

"Erol, please calm down? It's just that for some reason, your selura seems to not be working. It's not serious as long as you don't bleed too much."

"But what is it?"

"It's just something inside of you that brings things back and forth through your body. It's perfectly natural, it just shouldn't be coming out. We'll fix it," she said in a soft and encouraging voice.

Zelda was back, and she handed Meghan the bag.

"Zelda, I need you to heal him from the inside. If his selura isn't functioning, I doubt he has any platelets to close the wound. We can't let him bleed too much.

Zelda nodded and went to him. She told him to lie down, then put her hands over him. They moved to his chest area, and began to glow as they healed. Erol was breathing heavily, still scared.

Meghan took a syringe and pulled off the needle part, so it was just a tube of metal with suction power. She sucked up the blood on his hand into the tube.

"I'll go to the lab to see this and ask Sheftali about it. Please, Zelda, stay here and heal him if he bleeds again, if you can."

"Yes, of course."

Meghan raced out the door, fast as she could, running half the time, otherwise power-walking. She dodged through the hallways and out, then between buildings to Sheftali's house.

She hurriedly opened the door then ran in. Sheftali was still there, surprised to see her.

"Meghan, you scared me!"

"I'm sorry! But Erol was bleeding! I need to look at his blood in the microscope."

"He was…bleeding?"

"Yes." She squirted the blood out onto a thin slide, preparing it with a tiny, thin shard of glass as a cover. Sheftali looked at it in fear. She'd never actually seen blood.

"Why?"

"I don't know, but maybe his blood can tell us."

"Oh, no. It can't be…"

"What?"

"Hold on…you look at it. I have to find a book." She ran to her shelf as Meghan put the slide under the microscope. But she didn't really know what she was looking at. They hadn't studied blood here in the lab because it was impossible to obtain Hylian blood, and she'd only seen a little bit back in high school. And Hylian blood was sure to be different! Still, what were those things floating around next to the red blood cells?

"Oh, here it is! I thought the symptoms were strange, but I didn't think it would be this…the Eating Disease. There was an outbreak of it hundreds of years ago. People suffered from persistent cough first, then pains in the seluric area…dizziness, and then if they were hurt, they would bleed. Sometimes to death."

"That must be what these are…maybe?"

Sheftali looked. "Yes, those are strange…"

But both of them were working from nothing. "Bacteria? Maybe we should give him an antibiotic." Couldn't hurt too much (except she didn't want the bacteria to grow resistant, yadayada).

"The penicillin?"

"Yeah." She went to find their store of it.

"Meghan, this disease is very contagious, if this is what it is."

"No!" Meghan cried, scared. If it was, then Link, Zelda, Luke, and many other people had exposure to it…

Sheftali frowned.

"I need to go _now_. Zelda's probably with him right now." If Zelda caught that disease…they'd be in trouble.

She bid Sheftali goodbye, then Meghan rushed out with only the penicillin in her hands. She couldn't run as fast as she wanted to.

She opened the door perhaps too quickly when she got to Erol's room. "Zelda, Luke, I think you need to leave now."

The two were at Erol's bed.

"What? Why?" Luke asked in a hushed tone, not wanting to scare Erol.

She walked in, trying to calm her beating heart. "The disease…he has is…contagious. I'll take…care of him."

Zelda and Luke went to her. "What about you?"

"_Listen, I'm not going to freak out if I start bleeding. Maybe only I should be allowed in here_," she whispered.

"_And what if he bleeds again_?"

"_I have penicillin, so I'm hoping it'll start going away soon_."

"_It's an infection?" _Zelda asked.

"_Seems like it…"_

Meghan went to Erol and administered the medicine, which he took without questions.

"Don't worry, Erol. As long as you take this every day, twice a day, then it'll go away. Just make sure to take it because if you don't, the disease might grow resistant and we don't want that. It is really important that you continue to take this until we tell you not to." He nodded.

She thought to herself, _I really hope this works._

* * *

She put herself in the bath, in steaming hot water and doused herself in soap bubbles. It wasn't antibacterial soap, but she was hoping the hot water would do that.

She quickly washed her hair too, then got out.

Link was waiting for her. She walked over to him, the clothes she'd been wearing in her hands and a bathrobe on. Her skin was flushed crimson in color from the heat, her fingers wrinkled from the water.

"You. Go take a _hot_, hot bath now. Burn your freaking skin off."

"What?"

"I don't want you sick!" She went into her room to get changed without any more words. He eventually did as told.

She was playing the piano when he came out, drying his wet hair with a towel.

She moved over and patted the bench so he would sit next to her.

"…Blood," she said.

"Yeah."

"Never thought I'd see that again. Well, on a Hylian anyway."

"Me neither."

"Mm."

She put her hands on keys, but didn't play anything. "Play something for me," she said.

"What would _I_ play?"

"I don't know."

"I can't play piano."

"Play the Song of Storms."

"Your favorite."

"Yeah."

"I don't even know where to begin."

"Hmm." She picked a note, thinking it sounded about in the right key that Link played it in.

"Check this with your ocarina," she said. He pulled it out and played the first note of the Song of Storms. She was right on.

"It's right," he said.

"Yay!"

She added a bass part, her left hand going down a D minor scale in octaves. Link started to play along, getting up to give her room in her monstrously huge cover of the song.

Suddenly, in the middle of the song, she stopped, surprising Link.

She turned and looked out the window, then started laughing.

"It's raining!"

"Yeah, that's what usually happens. You know that."

"Yeah, but it's still so amazing! I wonder…will my piano make it stop?"

He shrugged. "Try it."

She began to play again, trying to see out the window at the same time. It took a few turns through the song, but eventually the rain stopped.

"Ah! It worked!"

"Must be a magic piano," he joked.

"Maybe it is. I mean, _Zelda_ gave it to me. It might be the Piano of Time or something."

He laughed hard at the joke, and the thought! "Yeah, sure." Then he thought of how Zelda had given him the ocarina, and a million nostalgic memories flew at him at once. Had he really been a child, so alone in the world, not even knowing that Meghan existed? And his destiny. And everything. He imagined the power of the evil he'd once felt, a feeling so strong he had to shake it out his mind, as it was threatening to plague him. He was soon lost in thought, a dreamy expression on his face. She just watched him, and when he finally met her eyes, she snickered.

* * *

"_What_?" Zelda's voice snapped.

"I'm sorry, but it seems that he hasn't been here for…a few days. The other prisoners…said…that…"

"This can't be…how could he have escaped?"

Shina, the very man who'd tried to kill Meghan last year, who'd been locked up in the dungeon for this whole time, seamlessly escaped. How could she have not even known? Suddenly, the idea of the village's thieves seemed to fit together…

"I'm sorry, your majesty. When we checked yesterday, it looked like he was here. But it wasn't him. He had a deal with the other prisoners to cover for him for a week."

She wanted to be angry with someone for his escape, and the guards seemed to be the most obvious target. However, she knew that if they'd at all been able to prevent his escape, they would have. This wasn't their fault. "_Shina_. That despicable person. He's dangerous! Luke, it was he in the village! But how could he have escaped?" Shina was nothing special. He had no powers, and could barely fight. He was also growing old. Other forces were at work here.

"Should we…send out people to catch him?" the guard asked hesitantly.

"No, it's far too late," Luke said.

Zelda's heart dropped to the floor. What if he came back here? She had to tell Link and Meghan…and everyone else.

Zelda went by the cell where Shina had been, Luke close beside.

Two other prisoners had escaped with him, a man named Fikel and another with blond hair that Zelda couldn't remember.

"Where did he go?" Zelda demanded of the remaining prisoners, who she knew had worked with Shina in the past.

"We don't know, and even if we did, we wouldn't say," one of them told her.

"I think you will," Zelda threatened, vehemence in her voice. "Lu—" she started.

Suddenly she felt something strange…

It was just a fleeting feeling, but she felt it.

Power.

No, maybe she'd imagined it.

It couldn't be. Of course it couldn't be.

She froze, everyone watching her.

"Zelda?" Luke asked, at her side.

"Oh…sorry." She ignored the prisoners and walked to the exit of the dungeon quickly.

"What's wrong?" Luke asked, following swiftly.

"Nothing, it's nothing." She shook her head and batted her hands as the guards opened the door for her. But her voice had been strained and desperate sounding.

"Zelda!" he called desperately. He hated when something was wrong and she didn't tell him.

"Luke, I need to get to the Temple of Time now. Guards, please be on high alert! Spread the message."

"Tell me what's wrong!" he pleaded.

"Come on."

Zelda and Luke scurried along to the Temple. Zelda shoved open its heavy wooden doors, walking in like it was nobody's business.

There, the Door of Time was closed, as it should have been, and the Spiritual Stones were absent as they should have been. Everything was as it should have been.

She paused in front of the altar, the familiar words inscribed there playing in her mind without reading. "**Ye who owns three Spiritual Stones, stand with the Ocarina of Time, and play the Song of Time**," she repeated. "Link still has the Ocarina of Time, and I'm certain the Spiritual Stones have been returned to their regions…the sages would take good care of them."

Luke was not sure exactly what everything meant, but he was sure Zelda felt something strange in the wind. The Temple of Time was quite important in regards to sealing the Sacred Realm, traveling through time, and all those things that Zelda and Link had done.

"Everything looks to be in perfect order…but I must go see if everything really is…" She turned to face Luke. "I'm sure it was nothing that I felt."

"What was it?" He cocked his head to the side, not really sure what exactly she'd felt. She looked at him, an almost apologetic look on her face as she took in a deep breath. She smiled sadly at her beloved.

"Let's go see Link."

* * *

As Meghan was playing, Link suddenly jumped up from the piano bench and opened the door. Zelda and Luke came into view.

"Link, do you have the Ocarina of Time?" Zelda demanded as soon as she was in view. Luke stood looking confused behind her.

"Oh, yeah, I do…why?" he asked as he presented it.

"And you've had it with you?" Zelda inspected it, as though she didn't believe him. It was perfectly unharmed. "Never let it out of your sights?"

"It's never been more than a short distance from me. I've had it close since you gave it back to me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I would never let it stray from me. Zelda, _why_?" he asked with a bit of finality in his voice.

Meghan stared at them, sitting on the edge of her piano bench, also wondering why.

"I just…thought I felt something weird. But I guess it wasn't anything at all. I was imagining it."

"Are you sure?" Link asked.

"I promise. Since you have had the Ocarina with you. All this time."

He nodded, wanting to ask Zelda more.

She looked away a bit. "Well, other than that, I just came to tell you that Shina has escaped from the dungeon. So just be careful now." Her voice was sarcastic.

"_What_?" Meghan and Link said at the same time. Link's expression turned livid.

"I do not know how it happened, since one day he seemed to be there, says the guard, and the next day, he was not. We have a feeling it was him in Sierace and Erol's village. I have these feelings that other forces are at work."

"_That dirty bastard_," Meghan snarled under her breath. She had a personal vendetta against Shina.

"We need to get out there and fine him," Link started. "Luke, you can find him for us."

"He's probably not around anymore. He was going the opposite way. We'll have to go past the village…towards Freshia." Freshia was a country, far beyond Hyrule.

"We need to find him and kill him," Link said, his voice so unlike its usual tone. Vehemence lay thick. Meghan jumped to his side, gently placing her hand on his back to calm him even though she shared some of his anger. When no one spoke (because they were all so shocked by Link's violence), he said, "Zelda, he wanted to kill _us_. It's only fair…"

"I agree completely, but we should not rush into action. The truth is that we do not know where he is going or what his intentions are. He could be _trying_ to draw us away from Hyrule." She looked down for a second. Then she glanced to Meghan, then Link.

Luke sighed. "I'll start investigating. Hopefully I'll have a lead no later than tomorrow."

They nodded. "Stay safe, you two," Zelda said. They gave each other blank stared for a moment, then silently Zelda and Luke walked away. Link closed the door deliberately.

"This can't happen again," he said, his hand still on the doorknob.

"It won't," Meghan tried to convince him.

"I really hope you're right. But now that Zelda has weird feelings, too…I'm not so sure." He exhaled and shook his head, looking to the floor.

"Oh…"

Meghan was scared, for the first real time in a while. People who had tried to hurt her and her love…

And now these weird feelings? Something was fishy in Hyrule.

"Well, Zelda said not to rush into anything…"

"I don't really care what Zelda says. I'm going after him."

He was completely serious.

* * *

It was early yet, but Zelda was feeling tired. Unusually tired.

She told Luke this, and he told her she should rest. It was a bad day.

She was barely dressed when she collapsed over, landing on the floor.

"Zelda!" Luke yelled, running to see what happened.

She was sleeping. He worried over her, but there was nothing he could do. It was one of those times. He gently placed her on the bed. Something was definitely wrong, but her need to protect him made her unable to tell him her horrible fears.

* * *

_Everyone was against them…everyone screaming at them and trying to hurt them. Feeble attempts, but the message was quite clear. Dark clouds floated just above all their heads, except the three, standing beside each other. Beside her was a green, unintelligible light, from which she seemed to consume courage. On the other side, a body, but whose, she couldn't tell. The green mass seemed to envelope the body, as though carrying it._

_Then a red passion burst forth in the crowd, and her heart led her to it, but it deceived her. It tried to hurt her before she realized its deceit and she moved away, back to the green light and the body._

_She then turned to see the black clouds swirling and manifesting in the shape of a being. Something fleeting ran from its side, joining the crowd. The people, converging en masse, surrounded the three. Herself, the green light, and the body, against the rest._

_Passion, darkness, deceit, and misconception._

_The three fled into the darkness of the forest behind them._


	5. Imminent Betrayal

**Chapter III—Imminent Betrayal ("Stay Away From Me"—The Honorary Title)**

* * *

"Zellie! Wake up!" Luke yelled frantically. Zelda woke with a scream, gasping for breath. She turned to Luke, beside her, the expression on his face worried.

"Prophecy…" she breathed. The dark clouds were all too familiar. The green light, too. But the body…was it Meghan?

What scared her most was what she was sure the red, passionate feeling meant. It was Luke. But why would he deceive her? She was sure it couldn't be…

"Oh. Do you want to tell me about it?"

"No!" she said, too scared. He couldn't know. "I think it was just a dream."

For if it was real, and he really meant to deceive her, she couldn't let him know she knew.

But he wouldn't. In his right mind, he never would…

* * *

It was another night of bad sleep for Meghan, only this night was so much worse. Angry and scared, neither one of them got more than a few hours of sleep. Groggy, and very nearly grumpy, the two stumbled out of the bed in the early morning, meeting at the end as they walked to the door, at which point Meghan leaned completely against Link in her tiredness. She yawned against his shoulder.

"Maybe you should sleep more," he tried to persuade her.

She was quite content standing there, though. "No, not unless you do. I'm sure you're tired too."

"Mm," he agreed.

They went to get changed. She strapped Soe to her leg, the first time she'd worn her other than for practicing.

After a small breakfast alone in the dining room (Meghan's appetite was seriously impaired by her tiredness) they decided to go to the library to read.

In the cozy little sitting area with the comfy, plush, red chairs, there was a fireplace with a warm fire roaring. The two wandered around, Meghan hanging on Link like she was about to fall asleep. He didn't seem to mind as they searched for something to read each.

Back sitting with their books, the two read until their bodies were achy from sitting in the same place for a very long time.

"Let's go do something rather than sit here and rot."

"Yeah," he answered. "Soe?"

"Good idea."

And so they ventured out into the world, into Hyrule field where they had an angry, emotional battle, if not a bit drowsy. Afterwards, they felt so much better.

"Thanks for that," she said.

"Yeah, you too."

"Sometimes when I try not to think of things, it like consumes me. I just forgot everything."

"Me too."

* * *

Zelda and Luke were in a meeting with a few citizens about a problem they had. It was a simple matter, resolvable in a few minutes. But those few minutes were slowly torturing Zelda. Like a disease, the thought of Luke sitting next to her made her skin crawl. She was anxious, often speaking too loudly. Luke noticed her tenseness, but had no idea what was wrong. He had assumed it had something to do with Shina and that whole deal, but this was very different from her usual worried detachment. He felt her pulling away from him, avoiding him on purpose.

After the case had been resolved, the citizens stood from the table and thanked the king and queen. As soon as they'd left, Zelda stood and flitted away from the room, barely muttering a goodbye to the already perplexed Luke. He started to worry again, this time thinking it had to do with the dream. She'd said it was a prophecy, but then said it was just a dream. He didn't believe the latter. He tried to imagine what she'd seen that would cause her to stray from him. Anything terrible he had the misfortune of imaging he thought would make her take comfort in his presence, not shy away from it. He slowly walked down the hall to his office, ready to continue his investigation of Shina despite Zelda's strange behavior.

Zelda changed into Sheik, for the first time in a while. She had to find Impa, to tell her what had happened. She looked for Impa in all her usual spots, transporting in between locations. But the harder she looked, the more frustrated she got. Impa was nowhere to be found.

She went back to the castle, weakly, slowly walking along the shadows in an uncommonly used hallway on the lower level, thinking. Luke seemed to be normal as always, but the dream worried her to no end. It exhausted her mind, made her into a frantic madwoman searching for the meaning.

She sat against a wall, a tiny ball of being as emotions overtook her mind and she fought for control. She faded back into her normal self, an infinitesimal, useless queen.

Then, it was like something had returned to her, and she knew she couldn't sit alone and not do anything. She had to confront Luke, tell him what had happened in her dream. Tell him she knew if he hated her, faked all the love. He was deceit. Passion, but deceitful passion. And tell him if it was untrue, to warn him.

As she stood, she got an unnatural feeling. As she walked, her body felt unusual and different, then she noticed the glow of the Triforce on the back of her hand. She tore off her glove and observed its eerie glow, brighter than she'd seen it for a long while. She stopped walking, alone in the hallway, and her whole body started to let off a glow.

At that moment, she thought she knew everything. She was sure she knew. The glowing faded after a few seconds, and she raced off down the hall to tell Luke. Tell anyone.

* * *

Her mind wandered off with her thoughts, her eyes glancing to the side. They landed on the stone wall in the middle of the field, a bit away.

She laughed, remembering how important and monumental the place was.

"What?" he asked, looking the way she was looking. She redirected her eyes to his face.

"I'm just thinking how amazing that place is. Remember how we first met?"

"Remember? No, I don't at all," he joked, then he became soft. "It was the most significant event in my life."

"Mhm! But it was really more of a rhetorical question."

"I know," he laughed.

"It hurt, I think."

"What?"

"When I fell! I don't remember exactly, but I'm pretty certain it hurt to fall right on my butt like that! And I remember, I was falling, but like sideways. Like gravity was pulling me sideways for some reason. And I heard you playing."

"I remember I was only in the field for a second, but I was so stressed, so confused by how to go about doing things. It was the hardest temple I remember. I've never faced anything like a dark version of myself…seeing myself as something evil wasn't the easiest thing. I've always tried to be as moral as I can, but having to fight myself…and then feeling all those urges coming from that thing…" she was frowning, her brow furrowed. "And I was just playing, and suddenly, you were there."

"Was I just, like, there? Or did I fall from the sky or something?"

"No, you were just there suddenly. I think. You appeared out of nowhere. And you were so weird, I had to see what was going on!"

They laughed.

"And also…hmm…oh that one time when you were trying to teach me how to back flip, but I freaked out too much and never actually did a real one!"

"Oh," he grinned. "You still never have."

"No, I don't need to be able to do one."

"Yeah. And the necklace I gave you! We were sitting there."

"Oh my. Yes we were!" She touched the pendant on her collar bone. "It's like so many cool things have happened there. It's like it—"

She stopped, her pupils widening in her eyes and her mouth freezing in the same open position.

Link sensed something, but too late.

Little shocks, like lightening, flowed outward through her body, causing her to shake. They faded into the air, leaving her limp.

She fell backwards, but Link had his arms around her by then and caught her, kneeling down to the floor. Her body was completely limp in his arms.

"Meghan!" he yelled, touching her face to get her to wake. She was out cold, and her breathing was shallow.

He noticed his hand seemed to be glowing. When he glanced at the Triforce, it was brighter than usual. His body felt unnaturally different, and he started to glow. The glow emanated from him and flowed to Meghan, and she glowed very faintly in his arms.

It was the Triforce, the power and magic and protection flowed through him and into her. He had no idea how lucky they were.

* * *

"Luke!" Zelda called frantically. Luke was in the throne room. He was faced the other way, and she ran to him. "Luke, something terrible is happening…I felt it!"

Luke turned, a blank expression on his face.

"Ganon is back! He is, truly! I could feel his power…"

"I know," Luke said, a twisted grin growing on his face. "I feel him too."

"You…" Zelda stopped everything, remembering the deceit from her dream. She took in a deep breath, speaking through her teeth as everything came crashing down around her. "Luke, you've turned against me. Why?" She forced herself to stand strong, though her heart was slowly falling…

Luke's head twisted in abnormal ways, his eyes hollow and empty. He stared with his familiar grin, but somehow it seemed malevolent, as though he had fangs. "This world is no longer yours, _princess_," he spat. "Ganon has control over every single person here. He has been quite persuasive and the country belongs to him now."

"No…he doesn't! Everyone was normal before. Ganon is locked away, in the Dark Realm."

"Not anymore."

She almost started shaking at Luke's cold words.

"We follow Ganon now, and no one else. All the citizens were convinced you are our mortal enemy. They will resist against you."

"No, Luke, you're the ruler of this land, just as much as I. People listen to _Luke_, not Ganon. You can overcome this! You mustn't let him control you."

"You are no longer ruler. You have been reduced to nothing. And I will only follow the word of Ganon." He spoke of Ganon's control over him as though he'd simply changed his mind and decided to be evil. Not the good hearted person she knew him to be.

Zelda shook her head defiantly, stepping closer to Luke. "I am the ruler," she said with confidence unlike any time before. "And you are my husband, my partner." She stared into his eyes, trying to influence him and trying to get him back. But though she tried, she could not think of the magic to turn him back to her side. She thought it to be beyond her knowledge, though it made her seethe that Ganon knew it and she didn't. She held out her hands and tried anyway.

"I listen to Ganon."

"No, Luke! You are your own being! Listen to _yourself_! Luke would never turn against me."

But his eyes were different, not Luke's.

"Listen," he said, stepping even closer to her and grabbing her delicate neck. Her magic was dispersed. "You're not necessary anymore, so I suggest you go away and never return. Every single other person here is against you. You'd do best to disappear."

_Separate yourself from what compels you to relinquish us._  
_Push your way on to me, entirely._  
_Stay away from me, stay away from me now,_  
_Unless you're gonna see, unless you're gonna see me out._

"Luke, stop this!" she yelled, touching his hands with her own, which she'd created fire in. He gasped from the burn, and was surprised at the lack of hesitation in her counterattack. She held her hands, flames still burning, ready. "Ganon, stop being a coward and show yourself! Are you too weak to face me yourself?"

"Ganon's too busy doing more important things. This time, he'll have not just Hyrule, but the entire world."

"Luke…" she said, her heart breaking in two at that moment. She couldn't even begin to imagine how to use her magic to heal him. It was all she could think about. She shook her head, taking a step back. "I will find Ganon and get you free." She took a few more steps.

"This is my choice, Zelda," he called to her.

She turned and walked away. "Don't lie to yourself," she said with as much vigor as she could muster.

As soon as she was out of his sight, she broke into silent sobs, walking down the hall. Everyone? It couldn't be true! Luke…her only love…

She found the kitchen and the first person she could think of. "Granice?"

She was there, cutting food with a knife. "Zelda!" Granice said, her voice sounding almost normal at first. But then…"Get out of here, worthless girl."

"No!" Zelda screamed. Granice held the knife up, and although she was a few feet away, it was a threatening move. Zelda's tears flowed.

"No…you can resist this…"

"What? What am I resisting? Get out! Out of my kitchen! You don't belong in this castle! Despicable girl!"

"No…" Zelda said again, but she left anyway. She covered her face in her hands. Everyone? No…it couldn't be so! It was like her worst nightmare…

It was, however, the Triforce that protected her from this. Had Ganon used his Triforce to do this everyone? And if it was the Triforce that had protected her, then _surely_ Link had been protected against it as well. There was no way he could be against her. She had to find him, right then. She rushed down the lesser-traveled halls, careful not to run into anyone.

But what about Meghan? If Luke had been taken over…so must have she! The heartbreak was too much. Could she now only trust one person? And just as much as she was broken that Luke was against her, Link would be broken about Meghan.

She was going out of the castle since she didn't feel Link within its walls. She was near the exit in the front, when she sensed him coming.

"Link!" Zelda yelled, going to him quickly. Meghan was draped in his arms, and his expression was confused and angry. Zelda pulled him into a corner.

"Zelda, what's going on? Meghan collapsed. It was so strange…and then all the townspeople were throwing things at us…what's wrong with everyone?" he asked, hoping she'd know. He kneeled down and gently placed the lower half of Meg's body on the ground, holding her.

"Link…Ganon has taken control of everyone's minds! Everyone I've come across…Luke…" she said, her voice cracking. She fell to the ground next to Link. "Meghan's unconscious now, but…when she wakes…"

"She won't be!" Link yelled, glancing down at her.

"Shh! You're normal, however, correct…?" she asked, just to be sure.

"I'm fine. The Triforce…it protected us. I'm sure she's normal! She has to be."

"She just collapsed?" Zelda hadn't been around anyone when it apparently happened.

"It was Ganon's power; it flowed through her body. I could see it. Now I _know_ that's what it was. Then she fell, and the Triforce was glowing brightly. And she glowed a bit too, so I think she was fine. But why hasn't she woken up?" He was worried sick.

Zelda concentrated on what she felt emanating from Meghan. "I think…maybe there's just a conflict of…forces in her. Your Courage protected her, but Power tried to take over. Hopefully Courage is winning inside her." She looked to him. "You'd better stay by her side to be sure your influence wins."

"Please…" he said softly, in a strained voice, stroking her hair, pushing stray strands from her face.

"Link, we can't stay here. We have to find Ganon, wherever he is, and send him back."

"Zelda, why would Ganon be here? It doesn't make _sense_. He was sealed." Link's words were laced with hushed anger.

"He was…but this was never supposed to happen, Link."

He looked up suddenly. "What do you mean?"

"This time period. You're supposed to be a child, Link. So am I. But we are still here. He still exists in this…dimension. I still don't know _how_ exactly he did escape, but he was supposed to be trapped in a dimension that got turned back. We wouldn't be here. We, however, are, and now it's a problem. From the time when you put back the Master Sword, we've been living in the wrong place."

"But…" It was stupid of him to never think about that, to never worry about it. He was growing more selfish as the days went on. All he'd cared about was Meghan's well-being. When had he stopped thinking about the rest of the world?

"We should probably leave to find him as soon as possible."

"What about Meghan?" Link asked. "She's not woken yet!"

"…She has to eventually. Just give her time. I'm sure she'll wake."

"Well…what do we do now?"

"I suppose we must gather everything we need to bring with us."

"Where _is _Ganon, anyway? Where do we have to go?"

"He and Shina were the ones who raided the village. I am sure that's what happened. Ganon must have…set him free…or perhaps the other way around."

"Oh."

"Hurry, let's go to Meghan's room. We will stay there for a little. It should be safe."

Link hoisted Meghan up in his arms again, and the two quietly moved through the castle, ducking behind corners to avoid people. In Meghan's room, Link laid her down on the couch, and Zelda transformed into Sheik again.

"What should I pack?"

"Just necessities. I need to get some things as well. I will be a while, though."

"Spiritual stones," he said, knowing.

"Yes. Will you wait here for me to return? Then you must come with me to retrieve it." It. Meaning the Master Sword.

"Yeah, we will." He looked to Meghan.

"All right. Then I shall leave now."

In a cloud of smoke, she was gone. Link turned back to Meghan, kneeling at her side. He pulled a pillow under her head and pushed the hair back from around her face again. He hoped she'd wake very soon. It had already been fifteen or twenty minutes.

"Liam, come," he said to the dog, who had been lying under Meghan's piano bench. Liam came and sat next to Link. "Watch her," Link said, and he stood. Liam's head turned to Meghan, and he lay his heavy head on her arm.

First, he went to pack his own things. When he was sure he had everything he needed, he went back to Meghan. Liam lay on the ground next to her. Her face was still in an ethereal sleep. Again he touched her face to try to wake her, murmuring softly to her. He sighed; he was irritated that he couldn't do anything for her.

He went into her room. He was completely unsure what to bring of hers. He pulled out several articles of clothing he'd seen her wear before and put them on the bed, and he also got her pajamas. He found her brush on the top of her dresser, and her hair ties were in the middle drawer in the top. It was all he could do. What else was he supposed to bring for her? He'd have to wait for her to wake…or until Zelda came back. He carefully packed her clothes, and then went back to her.

He tried to convince himself she was only sleeping. She'd wake up soon, or if he wanted to, he could reach over and wake her himself. It was a horrible excuse for her motionless body. He tried to distract himself by memorizing all the color shirts she had, picturing her in them.

* * *

Firstly, Sheik went to Zora's Domain to get the Zora's Sapphire, the Spiritual Stone of Water. She was certain negotiating with Zoras would be the hardest when under this mind control, so she was going to do it first.

To her surprise, most of them didn't even recognize her in the form she was in. She walked freely to the Zora King's throne room, to ask for it. She found it unaccompanied and was quite upset that they would just leave it there. Someone easily could have stolen it to open the Door of Time! Not that she believed they did, because Link had had the Ocarina the whole time. She also liked to believe that they only reason it was unattended was for the very same reason they were all against her.

With the stone carefully tucked away, Sheik turned to leave. She turned to face Ruto, standing in her way.

"Hello, Ruto," Sheik said, hoping to the dear goddesses that she wasn't…

"Zelda."

"I'm…just leaving now."

"You're not taking that stone with you."

"Ruto, Ganon has control over your mind! You have to resist it. You must. You are a powerful sage in league with _justice_."

"Ganon is controlling no one's mind. He just told us of all the horrible things you do." She smiled smugly.

"Like _what_?" Sheik shrieked. What had she done? She was certain she never did anything remarkably horrible as ruler.

"Steal from the people. Using their money to pamper yourself and that so-called hero and his whore. All Ganondorf was ever trying to do was save the country, and all you could do was pout and resist change. You are self centered and finally you are getting what you deserve. You two'll be exiled. The sages are seeing to it."

"Ruto! You know that's not true one bit!" Zelda was horribly shocked. Is this what Ganon was feeding the people? Surely they wouldn't just believe that…

"Yes it is! And Link, that idiot who staged all those battles and pretended to be so good and helpful, him too. So hand over the stone, Zelda. Everything is over."

"Ruto, you cannot believe this! You cannot deny that Ganon _killed_ people, hurt them…ruined this country!"

"He saved Hyrule!" Ruto cried, launching forward to Sheik. Sheik jumped back to avoid her.

"No, Ruto!" Sheik said, disappearing once again, leaving Ruto seething. Ruto turned into her blue orb and went to find the other sages to tell them Zelda had escaped.

Sheik appeared on Death Mountain, hiding from the view of the Gorons. She took a moment to think.

Even the sages were under his control! But how can they just believe lies as such? This couldn't just be persuasion. He had to have used his dark magic to convince them. It was the only way he could do that to such powerful people. It scared her, thinking about how powerful he was.

Sheik snuck inside Goron City, quiet so as not to disturb the curled up Gorons scattered around.

She flitted across the ropes leading to the middle platform where the shining red Goron Ruby laid in its small pedestal. She wasted no time in disappearing; though she was growing extremely exhausted from the amount of times she'd teleported in the last few minutes.

Just as she was leaving, she saw Darunia rolling to the upper floor of the city where she'd just been, only just catching sight of her.

She was in the Sacred Meadow, the Great Deku Sprout standing about as tall as her.

"Hello, Zelda," it said.

"Hello, Great Deku Sprout," she said, out of breath. For once, the creature before her did not seem evil. "I need the Kokiri Emerald. Ganon has taken control of everyone's minds in Hyrule…we must retrieve the Master Sword once again."

"Ganon!" it gasped. "Ganon has returned…I thought I felt an evil disturbance. Yes, of course, here it is."

"Is the entire forest protected from his magic?" she asked with hope.

"Yes, the magic of the forest is unmatched. The Kokiri were indeed protected from the disturbance, I made sure of that. It is unfortunate that the whole of Hyrule has been taken, however." He sighed in disapproval.

"It is terrible! Everyone is against Link and I…even the sages."

"All the sages?" the sprout asked, a bit worried.

"I'm not sure, but I met both Princess Ruto and Brother Darunia, and both were against me."

"This is terrible! My dearest Saria…she hasn't been back to the forest today…"

"Oh…no…" Sheik shook her head. "This is…"

She couldn't even finish her sentence. There was no word for how utterly terribly stupid this was! It was like eight years ago, all over again. Sheik felt unmistakable feelings of anger and sadness.

"Great Deku Sprout, do you mind if Link, Meghan, and I stay here tonight? Tomorrow morning we are setting out to find…him."

"Not at all, wise leader, but Meghan? Is she not against you, too?"

"I am not sure at all. She was with Link when it all happened. The light of the Triforce in Link and I swelled when everything happened…and Link says his glow passed on to her. She was, however, unconscious when I left the two. For some reason the two conflicting Triforces caused this, and she hadn't woken up." Sheik thought for a second. "If she, too, is controlled, then of course we will not bring her into the forest…"

"A wise decision, though I know it will pain your hearts."

* * *

Still sleeping.

It had been nearly an hour, and still no progress. He moved her to her bed. Meghan lay still. It was beginning to drive Link nuts. The more he looked, the less asleep she looked. Her face was beyond the gentle calmness of dreams. Her face merely existed. Expressionless.

He sat on the bed next to her, stroking her arm and playing with her hair. Her breathing was still not the full, deep breathing of sleep, either. Worry was starting to carve a hole in his stomach.

As he touched her, he felt a slight movement. Her body suddenly twitched, her mouth moving. She made no sounds, but it was like she was saying something. He couldn't understand what it was.

Abruptly, she sat up and yelped. She looked around frantically and gripped at the bed and tried to move away from him but wasn't going anywhere. Her breathing was deep, and the look in her eyes wild.

"Megs! Calm down, sshh, it's OK…" He touched her face and held her hand and she still searched everywhere, twitching and looking at everything but him. "Calm down! Look at me, what's wrong?"

She finally redirected her anxious eyes at him, chest heaving from the lack of air she was getting. Her breath reached his face, and it soon slowed down. He looked at her with concerned eyes. She blinked, and suddenly, she was there.

"Where am I?" she asked, unsure of what had just happened. At first, her tone of voice seemed almost hostile to him and he grew nervous.

"In your room. Look, look."

Her eyes looked away again, looking for real.

"Look at _me_," he said softly, again. She listened. "Are you OK? Do you feel all right?"

"I feel fine. I just have…_no_ idea how I got here. I just remember being in the field…and suddenly I'm looking at you here." She looked at him incredulously.

"Yeah, it's a long story…but you're OK?"

"I think so. Why? What happened? Tell me!"

"You don't want to…run away from me, or anything?"

"Why? Link, what's wrong?" she asked again. Strange thoughts were going through her head. What _had_ happened? And he looked stressed to the max. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything," he said seriously. "But Ganon decided he was going to take control of everyone's minds in Hyrule. Everyone is against Zelda and I, and I was afraid that you would have fallen under his command as well. You don't want to…hate me?"

"No…I still love you. Nope. But I'm just confused. What just happened? I'm here, suddenly." Then her eyes widened, as though she'd just heard him. "Wait, _Ganon_?" she cried.

"Oh, good!" he sighed with relief, hugging her tightly. She returned it, confused.

"_Ganon_?" She cried again. She felt the same as before. Just in a different place… "So what happened? _Ganon_?" Her mouth was wide, her eyes shocked. What? No. No. No.

He sat back. "You were talking in the field, do you remember?" He explained what had happened in that moment. "And I had no idea what had just happened, and you were unconscious, so I went to see Zelda and she said that…Luke was completely against her. Ganon has control over him, and through him, he can do anything to Hyrule. We need to leave as soon as possible, and we're going to find Ganon. It was probably him in Sierace's village…so we have to travel that way. Zelda went to get the Spiritual Stones, so I can get the Master Sword."

"Shit, Link." It was all she could say. This, all over again? Poor Link…poor Zelda! Luke was against her! She loved Luke with all her heart…she must be in terrible pain.

And Link, who'd wasted most of his life just to defeat Ganon…what a terrible feeling it must have been to learn Ganon had returned. His bad feelings of late were not his imagination.

"So do you feel OK?" he asked again, brushing off the other subject. Maybe right now he could manage to not think about it.

"Yeah, I feel fine."

"OK, so can you help me pack? You can just sit here and tell me what else you need. I don't want you to get up yet."

"Pack? Yeah."

"Well, I had no idea when you were going wake up…so I packed some of your clothes. But I didn't know what I should bring…so you can pull everything out if you want to."

She smiled and turned to get up. She wobbled very, very slightly, but Link didn't seem to notice. Meghan looked at all the shirts and pants he'd put and nodded in approval.

"All my favorite things! Good job."

"Oh, good."

"Mhm, but I need…like everything else."

"Well, that's what I was saying."

She laughed humorlessly. "I'll get it. You go play with Liam. He looks like he has a lot of energy."

"OK."

Meghan went to her drawers and got her other clothes. AKA underclothes. She sighed, upset. Had all her friends been turned against them? Was she included in the hated bunch, with Link and Zelda? It was a horrible situation. Saria? Sheftali?

And Luke, who was like an older brother to her, was totally against Zelda and Link. Their little adopted family had been ripped apart, and she was glad that she was on the good side, but the fact that one of them was against them made her terribly sad. Why couldn't Luke be with them? At least it would then be the four of them against the world.

"Did you pack soap?" she called to Link.

"Oh…no, I didn't think of that. That's why I need you!"

"Mhm…like I'm any better at this."

"I was just kidding!"

She laughed halfheartedly and went into the bathroom, avoiding Liam who was running to get the stuffed toy with which Link was playing fetch. She watched him from behind for a second and wondered how he could act so…well, not happy, but not exactly sad either.

She wasn't even sure how long they'd be gone. How much stuff should she bring? And what about soap to wash their clothes? Where _would_ they bathe?

She took a whole bunch of things from her shelf, and three towels. She didn't know if they'd all fit, but she'd try.

She crossed back into her room to put everything away. Liam was lying, out of breath, behind the couch.

"Good job, Link. He's officially out." She leaned down to give Liam a pat on the tummy.

As she was packing the towels, she heard a tiny explosive sound. She ran back into her sitting to face a tired-looking Sheik.

"Zelda!" Meghan yelled.

"Meghan! You're all right?" she asked, glancing at Link. They both got the double meaning. Link nodded his head.

"Yeah, I'm completely normal."

"Thank the goddesses!" She sat down on the couch, looking worn out. She pulled down her mouth covering, sighing. She looked so sad…

"Link, I have terrible news! I mean, even worse than this…" She shook her head. "The sages were not even protected against Ganon's magic. The only place that was unaffected was the Forest, but Saria was not there at the time."

"Saria!" Meghan and Link both said. Saria was an insanely dear friend to both of them (both Meghan and Link's first friend in Hyrule). Meghan's eyes watered. It was also terrible that they were alone in this. Even the sages believed they were against them! How could Ganon have done that?

How would they ever defeat Ganon without their help, also? They were the ones who helped seal Ganon to begin with…Zelda wouldn't be able to do it alone. Or could she? If Ganon had the power to turn everyone against them, couldn't Zelda have the power to turn them back? Or at least have enough power to seal Ganon again?

"However…as long as we find Ganon, and defeat him, they should return back to normal. I'm sure that's how this dark magic will work…"

"We'll find him as quickly as possible and kill him," Link said with vehemence as he looked out Meghan's window.

"Do you know where he is?" Meghan asked quietly.

"I am certain he is out beyond Sierace's village. We will let the Triforce guide us."

"We'll be able to find him easily," Link added, turning to make eye contact with Meghan, assuring her.

Meghan felt useless, out of their magical-Triforce-sensing group.

"I need to get my own things. But Link, we should leave tomorrow morning. Tonight we can stay in the forest. It is safest there."

"Saria," Meghan whispered.

"I spoke to the Great Deku Sprout, and she will not…be allowed inside. Although she poses no threat to the Kokiri, the evil magic inside her will disturb the forest. The Sprout was very distressed at this decision."

"Oh…" Meghan said, sad for the tree.

"Will you come with me to my room?" Zelda asked Link. "I'm afraid Luke might be there…I don't want to be afraid of him, but I…" She faded away.

"Of course, Zelda. We'll come."

"Thank you!"

The three snuck into the hallway, Meghan strapping on Soe again, and walked the short distance to Zelda's room. She took a deep breath in front of it (still as Sheik). Then, she pushed it open. Link and Meghan were right behind her.

"I knew you'd return," came Luke's cold voice, so unlike his usual one. Sheik was shaking, scared, angry, and upset. Meghan touched her arm and the two went to walk into Zelda's bedroom without a word. Luke stood from the couch and blocked their way.

"I told you to leave."

"Luke…I just need to get my things. Please." Her voice trembled as she spoke.

"Your things? No. Leave."

Meghan had to pull Zelda away toward the door. Meghan was sure Luke wouldn't hurt them…

She was surprised when Luke popped out his sword a few inches from its sheath at his side. She put her free hand on Soe, her eyes narrowing. But she knew she couldn't hurt Luke.

Link moved in between Luke and the girls, fearlessly close to Luke.

"Luke, stop this," he said, seriously. "You're under Ganon's contol! Come back to your senses."

Link's distraction gave Meghan and Zelda a chance to get into Zelda's room. It was huge, bigger than Meghan's, and her closet was easily twice as large.

"Meghan! Please, get my clothes. I'll get other things."

"Right…" she said, unsure of what Zelda wanted. "Pants?"

"Yes! I don't need dresses."

Meghan pulled out a bunch of pants, hoping they were OK. There were so many! Then she took a bunch of shirts.

She started folding them and packing them neatly as Zelda retrieved everything else. Meghan listened carefully to the voices outside, making sure Link (and Luke) were all right.

"This is all I dare get. Let's leave."

Meghan heard Link and Luke's voices raise in volume in the adjacent room. She went to go see, lingering in the doorway. They spoke in Hylian, quick slang words bouncing off their tongues.

"You're traitors to Hyrule! You deserve to die!"

"We're not traitors, Luke! Don't be stupid! You know as well as I do that Zelda saved this country!"

"You two _ruined_ this country!"

"Zelda wasted her life by risking it and trying to defeat the real traitor, the one who really ruined Hyrule! Don't tell me that you think that Ganon was saving Hyrule when it was a wasteland!"

"Hyrule wasn't a wasteland!"

"It _was_, but it's not anymore because Zelda brought it back!"

"No, she didn't! That bitch made everyone's lives even shittier!"

Luke had his sword out. Link didn't have his. Both were furious, Link because his best friend was completely against him and he was saying such _irrational_ things, and Luke because he truly thought Link had ruined the country, ruined everyone's lives.

"You can't call her that! She's your wife, you asshole!" Meghan nearly gasped. Link, _cursed_? _Whaaaat_? She'd heard him say the word _maybe_ once before.

"Not anymore!"

Zelda heard that one. She gasped and froze. Meghan was about to go comfort her, but she totally in a million year never expected what happened next.

Link full out punched Luke right in the jaw, sending his face reeling to the side. Link was angry. _Angry_.

"You can tell Ganon that I'm serious when I say I will massacre him and slaughter him in every way possible before he dies."

"Ultimately he will destroy you two."

"Your words are meaningless _filth_."

Zelda walked out of the bedroom with Meghan at her side, looking at the two. She exited first. Meghan stayed in the room to make sure Link was following.

"Link, come on," Meghan said quietly. He seemed to snap out of it.

He gave Luke one last patronizing stare, then turned to follow Meghan out, pushing her hastily and slamming the door behind himself.

While he cooled down, Meghan went to Zelda, who'd collapsed against the wall and was in a pile on the floor, back to her normal body.

"Zelda …" Meghan said, sitting down next to her and rubbing her shoulder comfortingly.

"He's…he hates me…" she whispered.

"Zelda, you know that's not him! That's Ganon talking! And you hate Ganon too, so it's OK." She smiled.

"I know, but it's seeing Luke like that…hearing his voice like that…if only I could have done something!"

"You couldn't have known!"

"But I did know!"

Link turned to her. "How? You never said anything," Link said.

"I did know…I am such an idiot…I had a prophecy last night, and it was about Luke…and everyone betraying us! I knew! I did not tell anyone right away. I was just going to find Impa when I realized something was wrong, but it was too late!" She sat up, staring at Meghan with huge, pathetic eyes. "I could have done _something_! And now Luke…he's gone!"

"Zelda, what could you have possibly done?" Meghan asked. "Maybe you had an idea, but there's no way you could know every detail. It's not your fault, and don't worry, we'll fix this."

"I could have done the same thing Link did for you!" Zelda yelled, agonized that she couldn't save Luke. Meghan's stomach flipped. Oh. _Yeah, that._ "I am such a useless…useless person!"

"No, Zelda, you're not! It's not your fault you weren't around Luke when it happened."

"I should have been! It is!"

"No. Your dream said that. And you couldn't have known it would work…Link didn't know what had happened…"

Meghan didn't know how to comfort her. How had she gotten so lucky, and poor Zelda always had to suffer? Zelda was definitely more deserving of good fortune than Meghan was!

"I just can't believe this has happened…" She leaned forward and hugged Meghan. Meghan embraced her comfortingly.

She glanced up at Link, whose face was blank as he stared down the hallway. Then he turned to Meghan.

"We should leave," he said, trying not to sound harsh. He wasn't angry with Meghan, but he couldn't seem to control the emotion in his voice.

"Zelda? Are you ok to go?"

"Oh…I'm so sorry…" Zelda sat back, her face a beautiful mess of tears.

"No, it's OK." Meghan stood, and then helped Zelda up too. "Come on," she said encouragingly.

Back in Meghan's room, they made sure they had everything they would need. Swords, instruments, stones, clothes, animals. They would get food in the forest.

Meghan said good-bye to her room, fingering the piano she had just gotten but now had to leave. In all its glory, it even looked a bit rejected in its spot in the corner.

Zelda was Sheik again, and the three ran stealthily out of the castle through the back entrance. Meghan held Liam on a short leash so that he wouldn't run off and alert someone of their presence.

Sheik had to get her horse, Starla, from the stables there. Meghan and Link stood watch with the bags as Sheik went inside to get her. A few seconds later, she returned with her beautiful snow-white horse and black saddle. She put their bags on Starla so they wouldn't have to carry them for now.

Next stop was the Temple of Time. It was terribly serious inside as the three Stones were placed at their spots on the Altar of Time. The brooding melody that flowed from the Ocarina of Time as Link played entranced Meghan, but the blinding light and earth-rumbling sounds quickly brought her to life, and the Door of Time had opened.

Link walked in, the process familiar to him even though he hadn't done it in a while. The sword came out easily, like a knife from butter, for him.

He hadn't carried a sword for more than their practices in a while, nor worn gauntlets, but here he was again. Not Link, but the Hero of Time. Strong, dangerous, and there to save the world. It felt real, like the rest of the day had been a dream. This was actually happening.

"Come on," he said. They all filed out.

Meghan and Link ran to the back alleys, to Sheftali's house, while Zelda brought Starla and Liam out to the field, trying to avoid people. Meghan left her a note inside the door to take care of Erol and make sure he was getting his medicine. It was all she could do for him.

Meghan and Link couldn't sneak out unnoticed. They got calls of bad Hylian words, and one lady actually threw a melon at them, even though she missed.

In the field they met Zelda, and Link called Epona. The gallant steed came galloping their way in a few seconds, and Link petted her.

They had to go to Lon Lon, lastly, to get Galaxy. Meghan hoped Malon wasn't around…

Gal was inside the Hylian-less stable, but Meghan had to go get his tack.

Link waited outside as she gathered her saddle and bridle. The room seemed to be empty sat first, but then she heard small noises.

"G-get out!"

Malon stood a bit away.

"Malon, it's OK, it's just me, Meghan."

"You're trespassing! You're stealing!"

"Um…no I'm not! Galaxy and this are mine. You gave me some of these things."

"No, I didn't!"

Malon had a kitchen knife in her hand.

"Listen, Malon, I'm just getting my things, then leaving! I promise!"

"That's _stealing_!" Malon screeched.

"Malon! It's _me_! Meghan!"

"_You_ are stealing!"

"Ugh, I'm not going to deal with you!" Meghan said, moving forward to grab everything.

"No!" Malon went forward to her, though she didn't attack. Meghan dropped her things and grabbed Malon's arm before she did anything. Malon was strong, probably from working with all the horses! But Meghan got the inpression that she didn't actually want to hurt her, so she was able to pull the knife away and throw it out the door. She quickly got all her things and exited.

"Let's get out of here!" she said frantically to Link, not even putting on Gal's stuff. She handed the saddle to Link as he offered to take it and took Galaxy in her own hands and ran out of the ranch, Malon yelling behind them.

Zelda waited for them. Meghan quickly strapped on Galaxy's saddle and they took the bags from Starla, evenly distributing them among the horses. The three mounted and took off towards the forest, to get their last sleep in Hyrule. Liam trailed behind the horses, enjoying the run across the field.

At the entrance to the forest, they left the horses just inside and continued on solemnly. They'd stay at Link's house.

The Kokiri were outside playing, and waved their hellos to the three as they passed. They wanted to play with Liam, so Meghan left him with them.

It wasn't totally late yet, but the three were completely worn out. They went to Link's house and mapped out the sleeping situation. Meghan and Zelda would share Link's bed and he'd sleep upon the floor.

But it was still light outside. Meghan wandered out alone to find Liam. Link went to his mother's grave, in the Sacred Meadow, and Zelda sat inside.

The Kokiri were having a lot of fun with Liam. Meghan began to think it'd be hard to keep Liam with them, if they were going to be sleeping who-knows-where. It was also another mouth to feed, and Liam was on a different diet than she, Link, and Zelda.

"Hey girls," Meghan said to get the Kokiris' attention. They looked to her. "Would you do me a favor?"

"Depends on what it is!" they giggled.

"Well Link, Zelda and I are going away for a while, and it'd be a lot of work to bring Liam with us, but no one else really wants to take care of him."

"Oh! We could do it! Right, sis?"

"Yes!"

"Would you? Oh thank you!"

"No problem! He's so cute!"

"Thank you so, so much! It would really make our lives a whole lot easier…and I know you'll take great care of him! Just give him his food every day and make sure he gets lots of exercise, because he's big."

"All right!" They looked to one another. "We have a dog!" They squealed in delight.

"We're leaving tomorrow morning, so you don't have to worry about him tonight."

"Then we'll start tomorrow!" They looked at each other again and tried to contain their excitement.

"Oh, but can we please play with him more today?"

"Please?"

"OK," she laughed, and smiled at them. They smiled and turned to the huge dog. Meghan waved goodbye and turned around.

The tears started to flow right away, and she tried to stifle the audible sobs as she walked back to Link's house.

She reached the ladder, but was too weak to climb it. She grabbed its rungs, her head rested on her hands. She thought Link might come back any time soon, so she opened her eyes a few minutes later. She didn't see him anywhere. She tried to stop herself; she had to be strong for Zelda.

She wiped her eyes, taking deep breaths to normal herself. She wiped her face one last time.

Zelda was lying on the bed, staring at the tree-designed ceiling. Meghan went in hesitantly. Zelda sighed as she did, and then sat up.

"Hey, Zellie."

"Hello, Meggie." She took in a sharp breath.

"Can I do anything for you?"

"No…not at all. I am fine."

"Are you sure?" she asked, and Zelda affirmed.

Meghan went to her stuff to find something she'd packed. It was silent between her and Zelda for a few minutes. Then Zelda spoke.

"Meghan?" she asked, hesitant.

"Yeah?" Meghan asked, turning to face her.

"I don't mean to be a spoiled princess…but…could you not call me Zellie? Luke always calls me that…"

"Oh I'm so sorry!" Meghan said, her facial expression turning upset. She thought to herself, _but I always call you that too_…"I forgot…"

"Oh, no, do not even think twice about it. I'm so sorry…such a stupid thing to ask of you…"

"Oh, no! Not at all! I'd be more than happy to not do that. I promise. It's not a big deal at all."

"Thank you…"

At that moment, they heard Link come in. They both turned to greet him. He said hello quietly. Meghan resisted the urge to run and hug him. Zelda looked away and he looked at Meghan. She gave him a long, meaningful look.

He sat down. The three stared at very interesting spots in the room.


	6. Just Keep Swimming

**Chapter IV - Just Keep Swimming ("Until the End" - Breaking Benjamin)**

* * *

Later on, Link and Zelda were going to the Kokiri Shop to buy food, for at least a few days. Meghan went to go find Liam. She'd forgotten that there was a ladder leading up to Link's house, and it might have been a bit of a problem to carry a 140 plus pound beast up there. So Meghan had no choice but to leave him with the Twins, and she was sure they wouldn't mind.

"Hi!" she said to them. Liam was lying, exhausted, next to the two.

"Hello!" they responded. "Do you need Liam back?"

"Actually…because I'm staying in Link's house, you know how he has that ladder up there?"

"Yes! His house is silly."

"Yeah, well Liam can't exactly go up there. It'd be very difficult."

"He could stay here with us!"

"Yeah!"

"You know, that's a great idea. Would you mind?"

"Not at all, would you, sis?"

"No! Liam is so cool!"

"Thank you! You're doing me a gigantic favor, you know. I'll owe you something."

"No…this will be fun! How long will you be gone?"

"I'm really not sure. It could be a week…or a few weeks."

"We get a dog for weeks!" They squealed in delight again.

"Yes," Meghan agreed. She didn't want them to think her Liam was theirs…but…it was probably better for all of them is he stayed here. Liam was a guard dog, after all, and he could get very hurt if he tried to protect Meghan from these bad guys.

"I'm going to come by in the morning to say goodbye, all right?"

"Yes, we'll be here!"

"OK! Thank you!"

She left them to find Link and Zelda. They were just paying the shopkeeper as Meghan walked in the Kokiri Shop.

"Do you need help?"

"No, I've got it," Link said, carrying the bag of food.

"OK."

They went back to Link's house and packed the food in. Then it was growing late, so they decided it was bedtime wordlessly. They didn't bother to change their clothes. Zelda lay down, making herself insignificant. Meghan followed her after taking off her shoes. Navi flew over to lie down on her arm, a little ball of warmth. Link didn't lie down yet, but sat on the floor near his makeshift bed.

Meghan lay and faced him, and they looked at each other. The look in his eyes was empty and sad. It was his Hero of Time look, the one he had worn when he was burdened with saving Hyrule. Now he had to do it again, and it was back. She hadn't seen the look for over a year, but it was obvious and she remembered it vivdly.

Meghan closed her eyes. She didn't want to open them, or she _knew_ Link would make her cry.

Time passed, but neither Meghan nor Link could sleep. Zelda was exhausted by all the magic she'd used that day, so she fell asleep easily, even though she was terribly stressed. Meghan's eyes wanted to open, but she wouldn't allow them to.

A long time later, she heard Link call to her.

"_Meghan_," he said so quietly she barely heard. Her eyes flew open, too eager. He was lying down, but no more asleep than she was. He was looking at her, his eyes hard to see in the darkness. "_Ssh…come here…"_

She didn't know why, but she quietly slid off the bed and landed on the floor, slinking over to him silently.

He held his arms out to hug her, and she fell into him. He held her tight, taking as much comfort in the embrace as she did. She felt his desperation, his sadness. It made her want to cry, again.

"_I saw you crying before…_" he said in her ear. "_It's Ok…everything will be OK…_"

"_No it's not_!" she cried, "_I have to leave Liam here…and everyone hates us…_"

"_No they don't_…"

"_But you got so angry today_!"

"_I wasn't angry with Luke. I was just angry with everything. I don't know, I can't control myself. I'm just a violent person_."

"_No, you're not! It's just how you had to be! And it wasn't entirely bad…you shut Luke up_."

"_I did, but it was a stupid thing to do. I just hope he doesn't remember._"

"_Don't feel bad…he'll understand_."

The two lay down, still embraced. Link held her tight, protecting her from undesirable emotions. Once she'd calmed down, he let her go and she crawled back into the bed. Zelda was still fast asleep, and soon Meghan followed.

* * *

Link woke everyone up that morning. It was early, and all Meghan wanted to do was sleep more, but she forced herself to get up. She told herself this was more important than sleep. It was the only way she could get up. Unbalanced and tired, she stumbled out of the bed and stood groggily as Zelda woke up behind her.

Glorious as ever, Zelda seemed to find it easier to wake and function normally in the morning than Meghan. It was a dreamy feeling, watching Link make sure everything they needed was packed, reminiscent of early travels to vacation destinations by car to far off states back in her Earth days with her family. She'd sleep in the car…that's all…

Oh wait, there were no cars. And she was inside a tree with her best friend and her true love.

She finger combed her hair while trying to help but not really doing anything. Link also seemed awake as ever. What was this? They were conspiring against her…being so awake…

She yawned as Link turned around to her.

"Make sure you have everything," he told her. She nodded, picking through her stuff and looking around. Oooh, shoes. She put them on.

"Do you want to go see Liam?"

"Oh, yeah…" she said with a heavy heart. She took a bag to pull down the ladder on her way. Link followed behind. She left the bag next to the bottom of the ladder, staggering off to the twins' house with the thing she'd been looking for yesterday in hand. She knocked at the door.

"Come in!" one said. Another awake person! Gosh, was no one in the world tired? It just made her feel like a worse person. But she never had been a morning person…

"Hi," Meghan said, her voice a bit crackly from tire. She tried to be cheerful, smiling.

Liam was laying on one of their beds, taking up the whole space.

"Liam! Don't lay on their bed…" Meghan scolded. He jumped down.

One twin giggled. "It's all right, he liked it!"

Liam greeted Meghan, as if wondering where she'd been. This was a total change in scenery and routine for him.

"Hey, Limie," she cooed in baby talk, crouching and petting the beast ferociously. He licked at her, tail wagging. She held his face behind the ears and looked in his eyes. "I have to leave for a while. Listen to me. Behave for the girls, OK? Protect them, too. Don't give them a hard time or anything."

He shifted impatiently as he sat.

"I'm really sorry, but you know I have to go. You'll be happier here."

He made a whining noise in his throat.

"Don't do that! I'll miss you!" she said, hugging him around the neck tightly. She kissed the side of his head, on his cheek. He licked her face.

"Ew!" She wiped off the slobber. "But I brought you this."

She held up his favorite stuffed toy, a fluffy bunny. He took it in his mouth.

"That's his favorite thing to play with," she told the girls. "It'll keep him very occupied if you get tired of him."

"All right, but we won't get tired of him!"

"He's too cute!" the other twin concurred.

"OK, I know." She hugged him again. "Good bye, Liam! I'll be back soon, I promise I'll be back."

_**I promise…**_

She stood back so Link could say his goodbyes too. He petted him and reminded him to be good too.

She waved to the twins, a lump forming in her throat.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

"No problem! Have fun!"

"Thank you…"

But how much fun could one have at such a time? They were blissfully unaware of what Link and Meghan had to do.

She quickly wiped away each tear as it fell. She breathed deeply, trying to get herself to stop. Link put his arm around her comfortingly, kissing her softly on the head, and then letting go.

Zelda waited for them at the bottom of the ladder, all their bags neatly next to each other. They went up once more to check to see if they'd left anything important, and then Link called for Navi.

She came flying through the door, flitting around excitedly. Link calmed her down rather quickly.

They were ready. They carried their things to the horses, securing everything, and walked them out of the forest, over the old bridge.

Out in the field, dew still wet on the grass in the early morning, they mounted their steeds and set off. They followed Link, who knew where he was going.

It was cold even at the slow speed they traveled at. Meghan was wearing elbow-length sleeves, but she was still cold. And tired. Miserable.

This was just the beginning.

In the forest, they traveled in a straight line along a faint trail, Meghan the caboose. It was slower traveling in the forest, but the air around was still cold, and the sun was blocked. She hated even to tell them, though, because it'd ruin their melancholy, pensive silence. She felt embarrassed, even, to speak. She felt weak. She felt stupid. Why should they worry about her being cold? It hardly seemed like a reason to waste their time.

It was the constant thought in Meghan's mind, for a long time. She was surprised when they stopped in front of her, near a slight clearing. Link dismounted, followed by Zelda. They were talking quietly. Meghan stopped Galaxy and led him to where Starla and Epona were. She joined Link and Zelda, wanting to fall over. And her butt was sore. And was there no sympathy from the sun? (Totally stole a Finch lyric! XD)

"So…why did we stop?"

"The horses need a break," Link responded.

"Meghan, you're so pale!" Zelda observed.

"Really?" she asked, looking at her arms. They felt like ice.

Link touched her arm too and frowned.

"You're really cold. Why didn't you put something else on?"

"Well…I didn't get cold until after we started and then it was too late to stop!"

"You should have told us. We would have stopped for a few seconds!"

"No, it's OK."

"Come on, go get something to wear over that."

"OK…"

She found a teal knit sweater that she'd worn in the winter. She was glad he'd thought to pack it. It was thick and warm. She felt a lot better with it on. And also sleepy.

After twenty minutes, the mounted their horses again. By default, Meghan got stuck in the back again. She didn't mind, though. This way, she could fall asleep possibly unnoticed.

She leaned forward, totally uncomfortable. It wasn't working. She sat back up and slouched in the saddle, her eyes closing. She was in a half-dream, half-awake reality where strange thoughts she couldn't remember the next second floated through her brain.

"Meghan?" Zelda asked, causing Meghan's eyes to shoot open and her posture to fix.

"Yeah?"

"Is something wrong, or are you just tired?"

"Just tired. I'm sorry."

"Oh. All right."

She tried her hardest from then on to keep her eyes open, but they were being difficult. Every few seconds she would realize her eyes were closed, and they'd shoot back open for a few seconds, only to close again against her will. She needed something to jolt her awake, something to keep her awake.

She wished she had coffee, or tea, or…

A kamamelon.

So basically the whole traveling thing was a tire, a bore, and miserable.

* * *

_They must be invincible freaks. Do they not feel pain? This is insane. _

That was all Meghan could think later that day. It was the most uncomfortable experience ever. All she could do in her head was complain. She would never voice them, but the only thing she seemed to think of was the bad parts.

She was terribly relieved when they stopped for the night. She thought the moment would never come. They took their bags off the horses and pulled out food. It was a horribly silent meal, too. Meghan sat next to Link as they thoughtfully ate few bites.

The sun had gone down, and a small fire burned before them. They'd sleep beneath the stars, and they all set out their beds. They weren't comfortable beds by any means, but Meghan was really trying to ignore it.

All three were in a row, the fire a bit away. It crackled and burned as Meghan sat on top of her bed, watching Link a bit away. He was so serious. She looked to the horses, Galaxy in between the two girls. He looked half asleep, and she didn't blame him. The pure, white Starla looked radiant in the darkness, compared to dark Galaxy and even to the magnificent Epona.

Zelda sat down on her right, on her own bed. She hugged her legs, clothed in pants, into her chest. Meghan looked to her and gave her a half-smile sort of acknowledgment.

"Tired?" Zelda asked.

"Yes, but..." She looked into the makeshift bed on the ground. She had a fear of bugs crawling into her mouth or mouth or nose as she slept…

"Oh, yes…it's hard at first. I had to sleep in the wilderness…a few years ago. While we were hiding. Every night. I suppose I'm used to it now." She gave a sad smile. "You don't need to worry about anything," Zelda reminded. "It's not his style." Meghan knew she was referring to Ganon. Ganon was more the… "come find me, I'm too indolent to find you type."

"Oh, yeah…"

Zelda sighed. "I just want this to be over as soon as possible. I'm willing to go anywhere and do anything. We just need you to cope with this for a little while, all right?" She said it like Meghan was a child being dragged along, like Meghan had no place in helping them!

"But…I want to do this as much as you! Is that what you think? I really am just as into this. I promise. I'm not just here because I have to be. I need to be. Please, believe me. I'm not a child."

"Yes, you are right."

"Really, Zelda!" Meghan insisted. Did they really think she was just along for nothing? Because she _had_ to be? She had _just_ as much of a problem with Ganon as Link and Zelda. Or almost as much.

"It's only just that…you're so young and innocent. And I don't mean by years. There's so much that I've done that you haven't yet. I can't let anything to happen to you. Your life is still unfinished."

"Yours too! You're only a year older than me, Zellie!" she felt weirdly offended by Zelda claiming Meghan hadn't had as many experiences as she had. "Zelda, you're infinitely wise. You know what you're talking about. I understand, but really. I'm here for a reason."

Link came to join them. Meghan smiled at him, and then looked to the fire. Zelda lay down beside her. An anxious feeling began to creep up in her heart, an indescribable and utterly intolerable feeling. It was a feeling she hadn't gotten in a long time, but it made her want to curl into a ball of triviality and forget everything. Just not be.

She put her head on her knees, her eyes squeezed shut. She took deep breaths, trying to make it go away.

Link was watching her. She was so beautiful in the fire lit darkness, but the way she stared at the fire was longing. When she put her head down he knew something was wrong.

She lay down curled up tight, her face buried in the pillow. Link reached forward and took her hand comfortingly, looking at her with comforting and compassionate eyes. He held her hand tight and she felt strength from him flow into her. The feeling soon went away and she opened her eyes to see him watching her still. She smiled and closed her eyes again.

* * *

The morning was damp, dim, and cold. Her hand was in the grass/dirt between her and Link's beds. His hand was only an inch or two away, his face peaceful in sleep. She turned to face Zelda, who was asleep too.

Meghan didn't know what time it was, but she actually felt awake. She yawned and sat up, her body cracking from sleeping on the hard floor. She slowly stretched to work out the kinks. The fire had burned out, she noticed. A slight smoky scent floated to her nose.

She stood up quietly, strapped on Soe, and walked aimlessly around. She sauntered over to Galaxy and the horses, who were grazing. She gave Galaxy a pat and a good morning, and he lifted his head to greet her. She moved to Epona next, rubbing her a bit. Epona nudged her affectionately.

She walked over to Starla, who she didn't know well. Her beautiful hair was stark white, beautiful and smooth. Her eyes were an intelligent light blue. She looked at Meghan between bites with curiosity.

"Hello, Starla, how are you?"

Starla made a brrr sound. Meghan smiled, holding out her hand. Starla let her stroke her soft, pink nose.

"She likes you," Zelda said from behind her. Meghan turned, surprised but not scared.

"Oh! Hi!"

"Good morning," Link said.

"Morning," Meghan responded.

They got breakfast, talking more than they had the whole day yesterday. After they ate, Zelda wandered off, leaving Meghan and Link at the fire alone.

"She seems better today," Meghan said thoughtfully after a few seconds.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Do you feel…her sadness?"

He nodded. "It's…very much."

"Yeah…"

"But how are _you_ today? Last night you were acting weird."

"Oh, I'm better now. Definitely." She smiled minutely.

"What was wrong?"

"I don't know. Sometimes I get this anxious feeling and it's so weird, but it's so intolerable. I haven't felt it in so long."

"Sometimes I get anxious too."

"Like the weight of the world is crushing you?"

"Exactly."

She nodded empathetically. "Where'd Zelda go?" Meghan asked him.

"Oh…I don't know! She's fine." He paused. "Not too far away, I think."

"OK."

"But anyway…"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're better now."

"Oh, yeah.

They leaned in for a hug. She sighed. They tried not to act too lovey dovey in front of Zelda because they were afraid she'd get too upset. But Zelda wasn't there, so it was OK to hug him, right? Just a hug. And everything would be better.

But was it? She needed more of him then. So just one tiny kiss, right? It's just a kiss. Anyone can give anyone a kiss. Zelda could kiss her, or Link.

So he lightly kissed her for a second, but after a few seconds she moved away slightly.

"I just feel so bad about Zelda and Luke…" she said in response to moving away.

"Yeah," he said. She didn't hear any sort of dejection in his voice, but she knew he felt the same way as she did.

A couple seconds later, they noticed Zelda dancing her way back into the small clearing, an assortment of fruits in her hands.

"Look what I've found!"

* * *

Another day, but not quite so miserable. They talked more and the weather was more yielding. They switched spots regularly, so everyone could talk to anyone. Where the path permitted, they even rode side by side.

When they stopped for a lunch break, they had all nearly stopped thinking about what they were doing. It was a good thing. They had to find something good in this mission or they'd all go insane. The day was like a comfortably numb blur.

"We're not far from Sierace's village," Link promised. "I'm sure I remember being here."

Zelda broke in with a sudden thought. "I wonder if they're…under control…"

It was the first serious thing in the conversation.

"Maybe not," Link said.

But Meghan thought differently. Ganon had been there. Why wouldn't he have done it to them as well? What did she know, though? It was anyone's guess. Favoring Link and Zelda.

That night, they stopped again. It was the same arrangement as last night, but in a slightly bigger area. It made them slightly nervous because they could be found quite easily. But Meghan and Zelda knew Link wouldn't let anything happen.

Link promised again that they would arrive in the village the next day. They needed a plan of action in case the people were under control, they decided. Link really wanted to see Sierace, though.

"I should go in first," Meghan said. "Before you, and I'll see."

"Why?" Link asked as though it was the stupidest idea ever.

"Because, didn't you notice? The people in town were not nearly as against me as you two." She cringed when she realized she'd said "Luke."

"Oh goddesses, sorry! Sorry! I wasn't thinking. Oh, ew…"

"It's all right," Zelda said. She forgot about it by moving on. "And yes, I did notice that. I think it's a good idea."

"_What_? No!" he said loudly, sternly. "It's a stupid idea. We'll all go together."

"Listen! You'll be right behind me. I have Soe. They're probably not even going to try anything to hurt me. If we all go, they'll get all riled up and _then_ they'll probably try to hurt us."

"A sensible idea, Link," Zelda agreed. "Besides, we don't know anything for sure. We could be anticipating the worst."

"Then _I'll_ just do it," Link said.

"No, I want to do it," Meghan said defiantly. "I want to actually do something, since you guys seem to think that I'm here for nothing. Well I'm _not!_ I actually want to help. All you ever think is 'she's so weak, she needs to be protected, just hang tight and it'll be over soon.' But guess what? I'm in this too!"

Her angry, loud tone, so unlike her usual self, confused and startled Zelda and Link. Meghan breathed in deeply and snorted out her air.

"I still don't think—" Link began quietly, but Zelda interrupted him with her hand held out. She looked at Meghan, scrutinizing.

"You should do it then, Meghan."

"OK. I will," she said brusquely, glancing at Link almost triumphantly.

Link wanted to say something, but Meghan's little angry rant upset him and displaced his words. Of course he knew she was there for a reason, that she could, but he didn't _want_ her to.

Meghan shook her head and stood up. She walked away without a word.

A few feet into the dark forest, she began to wonder why she'd gotten so angry. A few more feet, and she began to feel terrible about it. A few steps, and she was too weak to walk.

She leaned against a tree, a tear falling from her eye. She looked up to the invisible sky, the tear falling down her face. She looked up to stop more tears from falling, trying to control herself. It was becoming increasingly harder lately.

A twig snapped behind her and she turned quickly to see. But it was only Link. No, not _only_ Link. It was _all_ Link, in his beautiful misery, his melancholy splendor. At the sight of him, bewildered and questioning, she burst into a fresh sob, her back against the tree and her face lifted to the sky.

"I'm…sorry!" she whimpered. "I don't know what's wrong with me…I shouldn't yell at you guys like that! God, what am I doing? And you were only trying to keep me safe. I'm such an idiot—"

He cut her off by putting his hands on her face. He searched her eyes very carefully, filled to the brim with wetness. Then he tilted his head forward and slowly kissed her.

She was surprised, her eyes still wide open, finding it to be a rather inappropriate time to kiss her. A second later, his hands still planted firmly on her face, he moved back and looked in her eyes again. His words were careful.

"I don't care what you did. I don't care if you do it again. But I love you. I'm always here, for you. You can take everything out on me."

She was still surprised. She was beginning to think he was a robot that was programmed to always love her. No matter what she did, he loved her. It wasn't bad, but it was hard to believe.

"_Why_ do you love me?" she asked sullenly. Now he was a bit surprised, but he recoiled quickly.

"We've been over this…" he said gently, smiling.

"No. Why do you love me so much?"

"Why does it matter?" His smiled faded, his tone worried.

"Tell me _why_," she said, pulling his hands down from her face. She wasn't even herself. This wasn't her demanding to know why they were always together. She both did and didn't know why she loved him, the same as him. But she wanted to hear it from him, for some reason.

"Because. I feel like you're like the same as me. You're on the same level. You're really funny. You're really intelligent. You have great opinions. You're a strong person. You're beautiful. I just love everything about you. Is _that_ what you wanted to know?"

"I…mhm."

"Why don't you try answering the same question?" he said, not harshly but reprovingly. At her silence, he said, "It's not easy, Megs."

"I…" She stared into his deep blue eyes, humor and everything gone. She thought for a second, her eyes wandering and her breath coming as stagnant pieces here and there. When she finally looked back, she couldn't take it anymore.

Her knees buckled and her weight fell to the floor, her breath coming as shallow as though someone were choking her. He went down with her, holding her from falling completely over. Her eyes were full, not looking at him. Anywhere but at him.

"Meghan," he said. "Meghan, calm down. Please."

His manner wasn't as gentle as it normally would have been. It scared Meghan. It threw her into a bought of hysteria.

"I've ruined everything. I'm so terrible." She shook her head fiercely at herself. "Stupid, stupid! I'm so sorry, I'm _sorry_, I'm sorry…"

He sighed heavily, not knowing what to do. Not knowing what exactly was wrong.

"Meghan!" he said again to catch her attention. She looked at him, her face more pathetic than ever. "Stop it," he said. "Stop that, right now," he clarified.

She did.

"Calm down. I don't care. I don't care at _all_. Just forget everything. Forget it, please."

She nodded fiercely, even though a strange embarrassment still floated in her stomach. What had she done?

"Oh…look what I've done…" she sobbed. She leaned forward and grabbed his shirt by two fistfuls, leaning her forehead against him and sobbing. "What's wrong with me?"

"Shh," he said. "Nothing is wrong. This is only the worst thing that could have happened to us, and this is what it's doing to you. There's nothing wrong with you. _Nothing_ is wrong with you."

His words were met by the silence of the bedimming forest and sobbing sounds. He gathered her closer to himself, kneeling on the ground.


	7. The World Subsists on Lies

**Chapter IV Part II - The World Subsists on Lies ("Sick" - Evanescence [BWAHAHAAAA NEW ALBUM came out today :3])**

* * *

Another dull, dreary morning. Bad feelings were in the poignant air. Everyone was quiet again. It was the sort of damp feeling no one wanted to deal with.

After heading out again, they only traveled for a little over an hour before they got to the village. They dismounted, hidden by the trees. Two houses and a layer of fuzzy, clean grass were visible. Meghan took a deep breath, knowing what to do but still nervous. They traveled along the edge of the village, just inside the forest, to Sierace's house. From the side of it, Meghan walked out of the trees.

She looked around, quite aware of Link and Zelda's eyes on her back. She walked, watching the house.

"Hello?" she heard from behind her, making her stop in her tracks. "Can I help you?" the voice continued, asking the general word in Hylian for "what's up, what are you doing, what's going on, what do I do" etc. It sounded sweet, soft, floating on the air. And the words reminded her of something from a long time ago.

She turned to face a blonde-haired lady, still young but clearly older than herself. "Oh, yes, I'm looking for someone named Sierace?" she said back. She quickly glanced at Link, far away and not visible to someone who wasn't looking for him. He nodded quickly at her.

The girl could detect the clear accent in her voice.

"That's me. Can I do anything for you?"

"I…I'm from Hyrule, and I came to speak to the Masitima family. I have news about their son, Erol."

"Oh my! You came all the way here?"

"…Yes."

"I suppose I should get them." She paused for a second. "I don't mean at all to sound untrustworthy, but how can I know that's really why you're here? If you _do_ know Erol you'll know why I'm very suspicious lately, and that I always have been this way. Do you have a name?"

Meghan was dumbstruck for a second, her eyes wide open. She had a hard time understanding Sierace. She talked very quickly, in Hylian, her accent different from everyone's she knew. She dissected the words quickly as she could in her head. _Do…you have…a name?_

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry…my name is Meghan Black. I'm sorry. My Hylian is slow."

"Meghan Black? That sounds so familiar…well…I'll get his mother. Stay here, all right?"

"Yes, of course."

Sierace walked away slowly, cautiously. The distance she'd kept from Meghan and the words Meghan had thought she'd understood (_"I'm suspicious lately, I have always been_") reminded Meghan that Sierace was rather paranoid on a good day, so Meghan tried to act as non-threatening as possible. Sierace went inside the small house for a minute. Then the door opened back up and Sierace walked out with an older lady Meghan guessed to be in her late thirties or early forties.

"You know about my Erol?" she asked breathily, her eyes hopeful.

"Yes, I do. Erol's fine now. He got very sick when he came, but the doctors cured him. He's recovering and he'll be fine as soon as he's completely recovered. He'll come back soon. He really wants to come back."

"Oh! My boy! Are you sure he'll be fine?"

"Yes, I promise."

"That's such a long time to wait! Maybe I should…maybe I should go there to see him…"

What was with these Orda people and their reluctance to go to Hyrule? "It's a long journey," she reminded. "I assure you he's in good care."

"They're taking good care of my boy?" she asked, worried. She spoke the same quick, crisp way that Sierace did.

"Uhh…yeah…yeah."

It was obvious Meghan was foreign to Mrs. Masitima. Everything from the way Meghan dressed, to her voice and accent. But she still sounded motherly and worried, despite being wary.

"Are you tired? Hungry?" She turned to Sierace. "Sierace, she came all this way to tell us about Erol. Do you mind if I give her food to eat?" She turned back to Meghan. "Have you eaten yet today?" Back to Sierace. "Do you mind if she goes in?"

"No I don't, it's all right."

"I'm not hungry, I just ate. Thank you, anyway."

"But please. Where are you going after this? You came all this way, but for what? Just to say that?"

"Um…I came to help with the rebuilding and things."

"Please come sit down for a while, though. You do look quite tired, dear!"

It didn't seem at all like they were against them. Should she tell them about Link? She quickly glanced for a second. Maybe they couldn't hear what was happening…

"But…um…my—"

"Yeah, come on."

Meghan was ushered and followed Mrs. Masitima and walked beside Sierace. She looked over her shoulder at Link and Zelda, but couldn't tell what they were doing.

"Meghan…I know you from somewhere. I'm sure of it," Sierace said thoughtfully. "Where do you keep looking?"

"Just...my horse. But he'll be fine there."

"Oh." Sierace gave her a quizzical look. "All right, then." She walked through the door into a small, cute house. The kitchen was to her left and a small sitting area in front of her. A little beyond the kitchen was a dinner table. Farther down was a hall. "Meghan!" Sierace said suddenly, again.

"Yes?" she said, thinking her name was being called. She was nervous in the house, away from the other two. Were they going to follow her?

"I know who you are!" she said. Meghan got nervous. Sierace's expression was unreadable. Was it a good thing? A bad thing? She _knew_ Sierace knew who she was. Maybe, though, in the context of her randomly showing up, she'd been thrown off.

"Link's…" she said, sounding surprised with her own words.

"Oh—"

"I guess this means, though, that you're not…together with him, then, anymore?" she asked, in English.

"What?" She totally was…what was Sierace talking about? "No—"

"After learning what he did…" She shook her head. "I didn't believe it. I don't believe it still. But I would be so ashamed if it was true…and once I was so proud. You must know the truth though, being so close to him. Did he truly do the things we were told he did? Those horrible things? I can't believe it!"

Meghan was shocked. What was she talking about? Did this mean she was…

But didn't Sierace know who Meghan was? Wouldn't she be against Meghan, too, if she was controlled?

"You're not still…with him, are you?" Sierace asked again.

"Uh…" she said, shocked. What to say? She didn't expect this. She must have looked upset or something.

"Oh, dear, I realize it's recent. I shouldn't be so demanding. I'm terribly sorry! I would be still very upset."

"Yeah…no, it's all right…"

Sierace kept going. "Please know that whatever he did, it's all _his_ fault! Don't regret the relationship, or feel sad about it ending…it was all his fault. Don't…you know, blame anyone else." She was shaky with her words. "And…I am still your friend, no matter what."

"No…I'm OK."

"Wow! Meghan Black. I'm so sorry for not recognizing you sooner. I should know from Link's descriptions. I just did not expect you to show up here. Oh, I am so sorry. I couldn't believe it when I heard it. Is it true?"

"What did _you_ hear?"

"Well, I was told that everything he and Zelda did was a lie…while they were pretending to save Hyrule and defeat Ganon, they were really the causes of destruction. I found it terribly hard to believe, but the soldiers had convincing arguments, so much so that I started to believe this now. The evidence matches…the reason Hyrule has been normal for the past year was because King Luke was there to guide Zelda as queen."

"No, that's not true," Meghan said sternly. What was she to say? Was Sierace under control or what? She decided to play the middle ground. "While Link may have lied about some things, Ganon was evil and Ganon did ruin the country."

"Is that what he told you? But no one else was there when they defeated Ganon. How does anyone know?"

"_I_ was there! Ganon tried to _kill_ me. He nearly _did_. Ganon _is _evil. I have a scar to prove it."

Sierace was shocked, maybe thinking Meghan was with Zelda and Link. A scar?

"Listen, Link just told one too many lies. He's not evil. He never was. He was just…sucked up by the glory, I suppose." Meghan was making good lies off the top of her head, she thought. "He became conceited. He was telling things that weren't true. I got fed up with that. He really is a good person, in his heart…but…"

"Is that what happened?"

"Yes. I promise, his intentions were good to begin with, but then he started taking advantage of how everyone treated him…"

Sierace sighed softly. "You don't have to protect him like that. He's in your past now. Say whatever about him you feel. I still love him as though he were my very brother. Perhaps I shall pay him a visit to straighten him out."

Meghan nodded, and then shook her head. It wasn't easy, pretending to not be with him. She couldn't say hateful things about him. She couldn't let hurtful things be said. It was terrible even pretending that he was a head case, when everyone in the world (used to) knew he was the most modest person _ever_. She couldn't imagine a _single_ conceited moment with Link.

"I just don't want him to be accused of something he really, really didn't do. They're terrible accusations…having a bad personality is one thing, but destroying a country is a completely different thing. That's why I left Hyrule…to get away from him, but mostly to get away from the things people were saying about him."

"All right." Sierace had a tone that was ending the conversation. Maybe she didn't want to say bad things about him either. There was silence. "So are you hungry? Thirsty?"

"No, I'm fine, thank you. I don't know, I should be getting back—"

"But you're alone! Just stay for a little while, please."

"Thank you. Just a few minutes, I suppose."

"Good!"

She was made to sit at the table, and a cup of tea was soon before her. She drank it quickly, not wanting to dwell much longer. What were Link and Zelda thinking?

Sierace's gaze strayed to the front window, facing towards the forest. She kept looking back, like she saw something. Did she see Link or Zelda? No…they wouldn't be so—

"Goddesses!" Sierace said suddenly, standing and putting her hands on the table. Meghan turned to look at what she was talking about. "You stay here! I'll deal with this! What is this…did he follow you?"

Sierace had seen him. Meghan could too. Meghan groaned in her head. He couldn't have stayed hidden for ten more minutes? Damn boy…

Sierace was out of the door in seconds, and Meghan was close behind.

"Wait! Sierace! No, I have to tell you something!"

"What? You knew he was here?"

"Well…yes! Yes, but he's not bad! OK…I lied! He never ever did anything at all wrong! Let me explain!"

Meghan was struggling to keep up with Sierace's quick feet.

"Stop protecting him!" Sierace said gently, stopping so suddenly that Meghan nearly collided with her. "You can't help what he's done."

"No, I was only saying that so you wouldn't hate me! Listen, Sierace!"

They were halfway to Link and Zelda.

"Ganon took control of everyone's minds! He might have done it to you, too! He turned everyone against Link and Zelda, and me. He made everyone believe they were bad but they're _not_! I swear, I was just lying before because we needed some sort of ally! If you even only like me, at least we'd have _someone_! We came because we have to find Ganon and destroy him before he ruins Hyrule again! Luke is under his control! Please, believe me! Please! Link is not conceited. Link is not bad. I was lying."

Sierace was in some sort of quiet shock. What was the lie? Now nothing made sense to her. Her paranoia was flaring.

"Why are you not against them, then?" Sierace asked skeptically. It did seem weird that they three would be the only good ones.

"Because of something to do with Link's Triforce. It protected me, when I was near him. I swear, I'm telling the whole truth now. I'm terrible at lying. You knew I was lying before because I kept breaking eye contact when I was talking to you, right? And turning around? Believe me, please! We need you…"

"You did seem a bit hesitant before…and I don't know you to be untrustworthy."

"Please!" she begged.

Their eyes met, and Meghan's shone with earnest truth. Sierace sighed. She turned to Link.

"Come here!" she called across the distance, a bit sharply. Link readily did as told, silent. Zelda followed behind.

Sierace looked from Link and Zelda to Meghan.

"Tell me the story about why you are here. You." She spoke to Link in intensely rapid Hylian, in what Meghan was sure was Sierace's village's dialect.

And so Link repeated what Meghan had said, in normal Hylian. Sierace shook her head.

"Sierace, you're not controlled. I can feel it, I know it," Zelda told her in the foreign dialect.

"I'm not? Good, because I didn't think I was." Sierace sounded stern. "I was told about what you apparently did. It was hard to believe. I couldn't believe my own Link could do that. They just supplied a very intense argument. I'm glad to hear it wasn't true."

And so, it turned out the whole village wasn't under control, they were only told by the soldiers (who were controlled) who'd come to help rebuild. Because they were so far away, it was easier for the village people to believe without question. Sierace was terribly glad it wasn't the truth, once convinced.

Inside her home, Sierace gave Link a big hug, asking him if he was OK and everything, like a big sister. She looked at Zelda shyly. She hadn't seen her since they were children.

"Zelda," she said softly.

"It's been years," Zelda replied. "Sierace…"

"I'm sorry for all the trouble I put you and Impa through…"

"No, it's all my fault! Completely." Zelda took her hands.

"Zelda, you saved me."

Zelda shook her head, looking away. "No, it's wonderful to see you again, Sierace. I'm glad you're all right."

"Yes, Zelda."

They smiled at each other. Then Sierace turned her head and skipped to Meghan.

"Meghan! I need to get to know you better! When you come back from your journey, promise to visit me?"

"Yeah, I will!" She was scared now, though, of what Sierace thought she was. Would she forever think she was a liar now?

"I look forward to it!" Sierace said happily. "Sorry that we had such a strange first real meeting."

Meghan laughed. "Strange is my life."

They got everything they needed to from the village but were careful to avoid the soldiers. The horses were taken care of, and the three washed and changed and felt somewhat normal for the first time in days.

They had everything packed up, once again, and they stood outside with Sierace.

"Well, then, I suppose…"

"See you soon, Sierace," Link said. "Thank you so much for your help."

"Yes."

"Nice meeting you, finally," Meghan said. She and Link had meant to go to visit her, together, but Sierace had been away, acting as correspondent for Zelda in Freshia, a small country far away from Hyrule.

"Yes, it was!"

"And it was a pleasure seeing you, again," Zelda said.

"Yes."

They got into an awkward stage in the conversation.

"Oh…so I wish you all the fortune in the world. I know you will prevail. You are all so strong." She looked at the three of them across from her,

"Thank you," Link said.

"Please, any time you need anything, I'm always here!"

"We appreciate it a lot!"

"Well, then…I guess I'll see you soon!"

"Good bye, Sierace!"

The three mounted their horses, waving to Sierace. They rode around the village to avoid other people, continuing on their journey.

* * *

Later that day, when the sun was getting ready to set, Zelda slowed her horse. She looked to Link, then through the forest.

"Do you feel it?"

"Only slightly, but yeah," he responded.

"He's near. Not very near, but near enough," she told Meghan. Meghan nodded, knowing. "We shouldn't go much closer. There's no doubt he'll feel us too."

"We'll go until we find somewhere to set up a camp," Link said.

"Yes."

They continued along slowly, Zelda's stomach flipping at the thought of the evil that was Ganon. Although entirely true, it was hard to believe he was here, not too far away. She couldn't help the disgust she felt.

They came up in a nice clearing, the dirt floor big enough for them to use. "There's water nearby," Zelda said. They could all hear the running of water to their right. They all dismounted once again. In the far end of the clearing, there was a nice patch of grass that they led the horses to.

Somehow, Zelda had fit the material for a tent inside one of her bags. From plenty of practice, she had a tent put up in a matter of minutes using branches from trees around them. They stood back and admired her work for a second. Then they all brought everything inside.

They made their beds around the tent, Meghan and Link's next to each other because that was the way they could best utilize the room. Zelda's was perpendicular to theirs at their heads. On the side, there was just a small amount of space where they stored everything else. It was tall enough for Meghan to stand in, but Lnk had to crouch a bit.

"Let's go find the water," Meghan said when they were finished.

"Yeah," Link agreed.

"All right," Zelda said. They followed their ears through the forest, creating their own path by marking the trees. Soon, they could see a bubbling body of water, pure and clean. There was a waterfall to their right. It was lined with large boulders. Meghan wasn't sure if it was large enough to be considered a river, but too large to be a stream. They named it a stream anyway, though. Meghan ran to the small waterfall, shoving her hand under to test the temperature of the water.

"It's so nice!"

She'd expected it to be cold, like the weather of late, but it wasn't. It was beautiful, fresh water.

"It's so pretty!"

"Yes, it's beautiful!" Zelda agreed. Link threw in a rock for kicks.

"It's pretty deep, too." But they could see straight to the bottom.

"We can use it for a lot of things," Zelda said.

"Bathtub!" Meghan said.

They laughed. They knew her need to clean often. It was a human habit. Humans had to take baths often or they'd grow smelly or otherwise icky, apparently. So wasn't the case with Hylians as they didn't produce particularly smelly sweat (the composition may not have been too different, but perhaps the bacteria here did not cause a stench), but Meghan couldn't help but feel dirty if she didn't bathe nearly every day. A sixteen-year habit was terribly hard to break.

It was nearly dark, then, so they started back to their camp area. They made a fire near the entrance to their tent. The night was growing cold. They ate some warm food, but no one was too hungry. Tomorrow they'd start everything all over again. Another adventure, but for what? There were no sages to awaken, no stones to collect. All they were doing was finding Ganon, destroying him. They didn't know how simple or hard it would be. Would they find him in one shot? Or would they be searching for him? Had he set evil monsters about? Why was he all the way out here, anyway?

Could they kill him? Could they lock him away without the help of the sages? Zelda wasn't even sure if she could reverse the mind control, even if just on one sage. They'd have to use their cunning and courage to defeat him, more than ever.

They would prevail. They had to. They had no choice.

It was now very cold away from the fire. Inside, they buried themselves in their blankets. Meghan wanted so madly to lean over, just a bit, to pull in his warmth, but then what about Zelda? She had to be cold as well…

But Zelda wasn't nearly as cold. She settled into a warm position, and fell asleep by imagining Luke beside her. It was all she could do for her aching heart. Link realized Zelda was asleep, secretly glad that he didn't have to bear that aching with her. He looked over in the darkness, trying to see Meghan, but he couldn't. He moved his hand to find her, bumping her shoulder.

She breathed in surprise, and then took his hand in her own. It was so warm.

She put his hand to her face, and he felt the iciness of it. He pulled her in close to himself, under his own blanket. She shivered one last time, then found her way into a comfortable position next to him. She felt good thoughts wash over her, and warm enough then, she fell asleep.

He stayed awake, unofficially taking watch over the girls.

* * *

The sunlight shining between the cracks of the tent delicately woke up Zelda, dreams beautifully playing in her head. When she realized they were not real, her heart weighed down with such longing that she could barely take it. She had to forget about it, it was the only way she could stop the terrible pain.

When she sat up and looked over at Link and Meghan, she was surprised. Not because she found them warmly snuggled together, together and in love. She was surprised because nothing went through her. No pangs of envy, or of longing, or of sadness. For the first time in days, she finally put into words her feelings about everything. This would all be over soon, and Luke would be fine. It was only a matter of time before she would be back with him. Her own selfishness was separating Link and Meghan, and she could see it.

So quietly that even Link's light sleep wasn't interrupted, Zelda hopped out of the tent out into the open air, slightly chilled. She didn't mind it, though, as she went off to the stream to wash up. She felt awake and _real_.

The water was colder than yesterday. It matched the air around. She decided to go in and pulled off her extra layers. She only meant to be in for a few minutes, so she didn't worry about anyone finding her there.

Even though the water was cold, it didn't bother Zelda. Her body glowed with the magic she spread around herself, the beginnings of fire in her skin warming the stream. It made the water around her steam and float away. She stared to the blue sky, deceivingly clear. Birds chirped. But she didn't feel unhappy because of Luke anymore.

Of course, now she felt the inevitability of meeting with Ganon again, and _that_ wasn't pleasant. The Triforce of Power's presence licked at her insides. She could feel him, like the air around her. It was the sort of thing she could forget, like breathing constantly, like Link's Triforce of Courage, but once she remembered, it was easy to feel.

* * *

He woke up, suddenly aware that he was awake. There had been something in his dream so disturbing it woke him, but he couldn't remember what. The feeling lingered, though. And he hadn't meant to fall asleep, but he was beginning to realize that his body wasn't the same as it had been last year. He required sleep and nourishment now...which was less than ideal.

He didn't want to move too much, as Meghan was still sleeping tucked beside him, but he turned his head up to see Zelda. She wasn't there, and then he started wondered where she was. And then he realized she'd probably seen them together. What if she'd gotten upset?

"Megs…" he said softly, touching her face with his free hand. Her head was rested on his other arm, using it as a pillow. He played with her hair until she woke up suddenly. He smiled when she turned to see his face.

"Good morning," he said, almost cheerfully. She mumbled a "morning" tiredly and sat up, slightly still off in dreamland. He got up too.

"Zelda went somewhere. I don't know where. I think we should find her."

"Oh. Yeah." She yawned and lay back down.

"Megs," he said again, trying to wake her.

"Oh," she said again, sitting up. He couldn't help but laugh at her.

They were both still in normal clothes, so they didn't bother changing yet. They put on their swords and shoes and went out into the open air, which was colder than inside the tent.

"She's somewhere that way," he said, indicating in the direction of the stream, off in the forest.

"Oh. I know where she is. I'll go find her."

"You?"

"Yeah." She started walking, backwards in the direction of the forest. "You know, stream? Girl?"

"Oh," he said quickly. "…But I don't know if you should go by yourself…" Then he suddenly said, "Well, just, not all the way!" he said in an embarrassed manner.

She laughed. "No, _sweetie_, I have Soe. I'll be fine. It's not that far. And then I'll be with Zelda. I can even take Navi with me! She can fly back to you if I need you." Navi zipped over to Meghan, landing on her head as she laughed. "Honestly, imagine you were Luke in this situation. Get it? Bye!"

She turned and ran off into the trees. He watched her carefully until she disappeared from sight. She had a point, but he really didn't want her running off by herself.

Meghan dodged trees, hoping she was going the correct way. She followed the sound of the waterfall and their marks on the trees. Navi was chattering too much to ask for a second opinion. She could hear it more and more clearly, until she saw the water before her, a blonde head bobbing in it.

As soon as her footsteps were in hearing distance, Zelda's head turned her way. She recognized Meghan quickly and relaxed.

"Hello!" Zelda called, happily. This wasn't false happiness, this was real.

"Hey, Zelda," Meghan said. Zelda was shoulder-deep in water.

"No Link…?" Zelda asked quizzically. She hadn't felt him coming any closer, so she didn't get worried when Meghan popped up, but she was a bit surprised.

"Nope, I told him to stay there."

"Oh," Zelda laughed. "I'm just getting out."

"Oh," Meghan said. She turned her head, pretending to be occupied with the waterfall. "It's so pretty."

"Yes, indeed," Zelda said. Meghan heard the sounds of her getting out of the water. Meghan could see from the corner of her eye that Zelda had _some_ clothes on. She turned her head. The wet clothes clung to Zelda's frame, delicate and slight. She was so tiny, but so strong. Meghan loved her own body, and she was proportionate herself now thanks to Link's work outs, but Zelda made her feel huge. Tall.

A towel materialized around Zelda, one that Meghan had packed. Meghan went to sit on one of the huge, flat rocks that lined the stream.

"Zelda…" Meghan started.

"Yes?" she asked, drying her loose, blonde hair. Meghan didn't usually see it down, and it was long and perfect too.

"I'm sorry…about this morning?"

Zelda paused, thinking. "What about this morning? You didn't do anything that I can recall…you were sleeping as I left."

"No, I probably made you feel…I don't know, sad or something. Because…Link…" She tried to phrase it in a manner that wouldn't be weird sounding.

"Oh, it was a cold night last night," Zelda mused, smiling. "Why would I be sad?" she asked quixotically.

"Because…" But she couldn't finish because she didn't want to bring up Luke.

"Oh, dear, listen," Zelda said, going to sit next to Meghan. She put her hand on Meghan's arm. "This morning I realized what I was doing. And _I_ should really apologize instead. I have been acting so…so much like it was the end of the world, but it is not. I realized that you and Link are…not connecting so much because of me."

Meghan remembered the horrible night two nights ago.

"Because of me, you two are…more distant, and I can see it. I feel it from Link. You are worried I'll get sad if you even touch him, aren't you? Maybe you think I will get jealous, or something along those lines…"

"No, but—"

"But," Zelda said, "I do not want you two to stay away. Act exactly like you've ever acted in front of me. I promise, this morning I realized I'm being entirely selfish."

"But no, we can't." She looked at Zelda with sincere eyes. "We really can't make you feel bad."

"Don't worry about me. I'm all right. And Luke is all right, too. I'll be back with him soon enough. I just have to be patient. Sometimes we have to wait a while for the things we want. This is what I realized this morning."

"Zelda…" Meghan said, trying to make her understand. She had to do those things for _Zelda_.

"Meghan," Zelda said, forthright.

Meghan smiled. "OK."

"Good! So, did you want to go in the water? It is very cold, but it felt nice."

"I don't know…" Meghan liked to be clean, but didn't like being cold to be clean.

"Maybe later, then?" She winked and laughed.

"OK, later. I think…Link was all paranoid again when I went to find you, so I think I shouldn't leave him in suspense." Then she laughed. "Or maybe I should!" She briefly wondered if paranoia ran in the family, but realized the thought was probably bad somehow.

Zelda laughed too.

"He's always so uptight. Really, I want him to calm down, even though I know it's not easy for him, or any of us. He wasn't like this last year. He's grown so uptight."

"Yes, but he has his reasons. I am sure the small incident with Ganon during the last battle hasn't left his mind," she pointed out. "He's afraid that will happen again. And now, I am sure it would be so much harder on him than ever, since you've grown so close. You're the only person he has left to protect."

"I know. I know that's what he's doing, I know he wants me to be OK, but I can take care of myself to some degree! I mean…I know I'm not good with anything, like magic and stuff, but…"

"No, you're not, and I agree. But you've learned more about the way of the sword, yes? I am sure, even, that Link knows that perfectly well. You love him, though, correct?"

Meghan nodded.

"And you don't want him to be hurt either, do you?"

"No, never! But that's the difference. I know where to draw the line. A walk through the forest isn't going to kill me. If he said he was going out to face Ganon by himself, of course I'd say there was no way in hell."

"He's only being cautious. No one knows what misfortune might befall an innocent walk." She paused thoughtfully, and then sighed. "These are, once again, dangerous times, to us three. It is best we stay cautious. That is all he wants."

"Yeah…"

"Maybe we should go back. He'll be waiting!" She smiled and stood; putting on the other layers of clothing she'd taken off.

They skipped off through the forest, talking incessantly, the sun warming them more and more. As they came through the trees, Meg could see that Link had been waiting intently.

"Hey!" Meghan called. He sighed with relief.

"Hey," he said back to her. She was perfectly fine, and Zelda was at her side, wet.

"Good morning, Link," Zelda said delicately, flashing a gleeful smile.

"Good morning," he said skeptically, unsure why she was so gleeful. He looked at Meghan, thinking she must have done something to get Zelda so cheerful. (But she hadn't.)

"So, are you ready?" Zelda asked, distracting his attention back to her. Her face was more serious now. They both knew what she was talking about.

"Yeah," Link said. "Probably as ready as I'll get."

Meghan nodded in agreement with him. She fingered Soe nervously. Would she finally have to use her? What if they found Ganon today? The thought made her stomach turn. Could she face him? Link was probably going to not let her come, somehow, but that made her just as uneasy. If something happened to him, no one would be there to take care of him. Where were they even going? She wanted to ask, but it seemed like _they_ knew exactly what they were doing. Did they? She never heard them say anything to one another even to confirm they were thinking the same thing.

So Link gathered all his weapons. Zelda changed into Sheik, an easier form to fight in. Meghan actually didn't do anything cool, but she needed a sentence.

As Link was readying himself, he glanced at Meghan several times. He wanted so badly to just leave her behind, safely away from the evil, but he couldn't just leave her here. She was a sitting duck in this forest, alone. He wished he could leave her and Zelda, but Zelda probably wouldn't stand for it either, and if he was going to face Ganon, he would need her magic. He was torn, but he knew that the only time he could actively and efficiently protect Meghan was when she was by his side. He and Zelda had one protective trick up their sleeves, anyway.

"Zelda, do you have the armor?" he asked quietly, but Meghan clearly heard.

"What armor?" she asked curiously, assuming it was for Zelda. Sheik nodded, a pile of shiny, clanging metal appeared in her arms. Link sighed.

"I was able to retrieve these from the soldiers' headquarters. I am sorry if they don't fit quite correctly; I attempted to find the smallest sizes I could in such a quick visit." Link pulled a bulbous piece of armor from the top, and from seeing the guards, Meghan assumed it would cover the torso. As he held it up, there was a reluctant grimace on his face as her looked at her, and she figured the meaning of all this.

Maybe she should quit being hurt about the fact that they put no faith in her. It probably only made sense. And she couldn't well protest ten seconds before they were about to go on their journey. She looked at Sheik, knowing from observing her Sheikah accouterments that she herself worn some protection. There were guards on her arms and legs and stiff, impenetrable material (like Link's gauntlets) at her torso. So it probably wouldn't make sense for Meghan to not have any. Not this time.

But Link didn't wear anything!

"All right guys, then help me suit up," she said, trying to be facetious, holding her arms out. Link showed a small smile in relief. "What's this contraption?"

Sheik set some indeterminable things on the ground, and held up a hauberk, which might have been too large. Link was concerned it might hinder her movement if she needed to get away, or fight, even. But her back would be exposed even with the other armor, so it was necessary. She was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, so they were able to just slip it on over that.

"Why don't _you_ ever wear armor, Link? You really should," she said as Sheik was helping her.

He seemed to blush a bit. "I was...supposed to." When Meghan gave him a questioning look, he continued. "When I woke up in the Sacred Realm, Rauru had presented me with some armor." Sheik laughed, while Meghan was still confused. "Mail, plates like these, but I...decided that it was too restrictive." He tilted his head to the side and shrugged. "So I got rid of everything except the shield."

"He was not lauded for his bravery, for that," Sheik said as she stepped back and allowed Link to put the torso plate to Meghan's chest. Of course, it didn't fit like Sheik's, so Meghan thought she must have looked rather bulky at that point. She held the plate in place as Link fastened it in the back for her. It turned out to be a rather good fit. There were shoulder plates made of not metal but brown material just like Sheik's pieces, and even her very own gauntlets. Link decided to leave the plates off her legs, so her ability to run was not affected.

"How do I look?" she asked as she swung her arms around, testing her ability to move. She was a bit restricted and it all felt heavy, but it wasn't awful. They gave her a nod, then beckoned to the horses. They got on and Sheik led the way though another part of the forest they hadn't been. Meghan shifted to make herself comfortable in the saddle with the armor, since the piece covering her torso tended to dig into her legs if she slouched.

"Um…Link?" she asked timidly, quietly.

"Yeah?" he asked, turning to face her with his perfect countenance.

"So…where…exactly…what…where are we going…to?"

"What?" he asked, not hearing what she'd said.

"Where…exactly are we, like, going? I mean, do you know, you know…"

"Well, somewhat," he said with half a smile at her ramblings. "We're just following the Triforce. We're getting closer to him. Just going in that general direction."

"Oh…OK…" She followed along quietly.

A little bit later, Sheik spoke.

"I can feel something ahead. It reeks of him," she said in her now-androgynous voice.

"Me too," Link agreed.

They proceeded cautiously from there, and then stopped the horses and continued on foot, leaving them in a safe place.

They soon came to a strangely clear place, with extraordinarily green grass. There were large, tan mushrooms spotted around the area. In the middle, there was the strangest, small, colorful cottage. Its roof was red, and its exterior walls bright sunshine yellow. The windows were conveniently curtained, so they couldn't see inside.

It looked like something out of a cartoon. What was this house? Were they supposed to go inside? But what _was_ inside?

Link started cautiously forward, avoiding the oversized mushrooms. Meghan followed closely behind, her hands gripping his right arm. Sheik kneeled down next to a mushroom and observed it. She took out one of her twin elbow blades, her main weapon, and chopped down a mushroom with one. It fell upside down onto the grass, smoldering slightly where it was slashed. Nothing else happened.

"These mushrooms are really very strange," she said, looking up at Link and Meghan. They nodded in agreement.

"Maybe we should go inside," Meghan said, pointing to the door.

"But what is it? I don't know if we should go inside," Sheik said.

"Maybe Ganon lives there."

"Please don't say that," Link said quietly. "It's far too disturbing." He walked toward the door, and Meghan briefly pictured Ganon standing inside, a colorful apron on, pulling cookies out of an oven. Yes. Disturbing. To say the least.

"Sorry, I was just kidding."

The three moved forward more. Sheik did a quick check around the perimeter. There was nothing but more mushrooms.

At the front door, they all hesitated. Then Link pulled out his sword and put his hand on the doorknob. Meghan slid out Soe. He opened the door, carefully, looking around inside. With his other hand, he held Meghan back so she wouldn't go in too far.

Then the door was open enough for them all to see inside. It was no more fancy than it looked from outside. There were three beds around the walls, a table in the middle, and a fireplace in the corner.

"OK…" Meghan said, confused. They were all confused. This was clearly where Link and Zelda sensed Ganon, but there was nothing here. There was a fire in the fireplace, so someone had been there not too long ago.

"Look," Sheik said, moving inside to the fireplace. "They're burning the mushrooms!"

When they moved forward, they started to smell the pungent odor of the burning fungus. It made them dizzy. "Oh man…" Meghan said, teetering. The smell was overpowering. She put her hand to her head, trying to stabilize herself. The world was turning sideways, and she lost balance and fell on her butt before Link could catch her. He knelt next to her, also growing weak himself.

"I don't feel well…" Meghan said woozily. A second later, she slumped forward, then Link onto her.

Sheik stood helpless and confused.

"Meghan! Link!" she yelled, trying in every way to rouse them, even her magic. They wouldn't move. They were breathing deeply, as though in impervious sleeps.

She looked around and deduced that it must have been in the air, because she had a covering over her nose and mouth. She had nothing to do but try to douse the fire and move the two.

Her back was faced to the door as she extinguished the flames.

She didn't notice when someone else had entered the room until they seized her body from behind, holding her head so she couldn't turn or anything. She struggled fully against the strength, but the body behind her was strong and sturdy. It made no sounds and she couldn't turn to see who it even was.

The arms reached to her mouth during her struggling and tore the covering from her mouth. She couldn't reach her mouth to put it back. She held her breath, still struggling and flailing, taking only shallow breaths when needed. But she couldn't help that she needed more air, and with every breath, she grew weaker and more tired. The room starting spinning around her and morphing into weird shapes. She went limp, and was dropped on top of Link and Meghan. Her last thought was of the identity of her attacker.

She was _far_ too familiar.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. :)**


	8. Temple of Dreams

**Chapter V - Temple of Dreams ("Sweet Dreams" - Eurythmics)**

* * *

Groggily, Meghan became aware of a cold wetness around her. She was scared, because everything was dark around her. She couldn't even see her own hand in front of her face. The only sounds she heard were those of water dripping somewhere. Soe was in her sheath, and she pulled her out.

She had been in nearly ankle-deep water, she realized as she stood, and her clothes and hair dripped, feeling heavy from the metal armor.

She was scared. She thought she heard a disturbance in the water. "L…Link?" she asked the darkness, her voice cracking. "Zelda!" Nothing responded. Her breathing was shallow and nearly absent. She was too scared to move for a second. She put her hands out in front of her and moved forward a step, gradually moving until she found a wall. At the wall she stopped and breathed heavily. She was so scared that her eyes started to tear. She was afraid to call out to find anyone else, afraid she might wake some sleeping monster she'd never see.

After a few seconds of anxiety, she switched her sword to her left hand and held out her right. "Fury!" she whispered quickly. A small ball of white formed in her hand, tiny and insignificant as compared to usual. It let out a miniscule amount of light, but it allowed her to see a bit before her. Water at her feet, a stone wall at her back, low ceiling above her head. She looked about, but saw nothing beyond the tiny reach of the dim light.

She heard a noise from what sounded like above her. It made her jump nearly out of her skin, and she turned her head to the sound. It sounded like it came from across a room. She turned in the direction of the sound, too scared to move anywhere.

Another sound, and then suddenly it was brighter. She squinted in the light coming from a hole in the ceiling, trying to see what it was and prepare herself for what it could be. Thankfully, a familiar figure dropped down through the hole, and she heard a quiet tinkling of little wings accompanied by a glow.

"Link!" she yelled, running to him, the fury blast diminishing inside her hand as she ran and hugged him tightly.

"Meghan!" he cried, sounding relieved. He caught her and comforted her as her breathing returned to normal.

"Where were you?" she asked him.

"I found myself in another room. Are you OK?"

"I'm fine! I was just scared." She couldn't even imagine being trapped in there. She might never have gotten out.

"Hello, Meghan!" said Sheik's voice from above. She looked up the hole over Link's shoulder.

"Hello! Are you all right?"

Sheik nodded.

"It's all wet in here…you're wet. Are you cold? Let's get up there. Navi, check around for anything useful, quickly."

"I'm fine, but I would like to get out of the water."

He helped her up to reach the hole in the low ceiling so she could pull herself up, with Sheik's help. When she was up, he pulled himself through the opening.

"Are you sure you're all right?" he asked again, touching her arm with a worried expression on his face.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Don't worry. So where are we?" she questioned. She looked around the plain room as Navi returned to settle on Link's shoulder.

"Well…it's a temple."

"The Temple of Dreams to be exact," Sheik added. "The Goddesses use dreams as a means communicate with the people of Hyrule...I had heard that there was a temple built to explore the connection thousands of years ago, but I had no idea it was still here."

"A…temple?" she asked, surprised entirely. A _temple_? For what _reason_?

"Yeah," he said quietly.

"But…why? This is dumb…why did he infect temples? There aren't more sages, are there?"

"We're not sure at all, but I figure that this is the easiest way to get through to him. Instead of denying his traps, we should just go through with them and hopefully it will get us to him quicker."

She couldn't understand the superfluous nature of it. Why did they have to do this all again? Not even herself, but Link and Zelda? Link didn't need this. It was so dumb! This wasn't going to be very easy on them.

Although they bitched and moaned about it, the temple was very easy. All the traps were "been there, done that" type things. The puzzles resulting were inane. They were beginning to wonder if Ganon had grown rusty. Or if he was setting them up for something.

They reached a room that, from first glance when they opened the door, looked like the night sky had been thrown into a room. It didn't seem to have a floor or ceiling, and it could have gone on forever. The doorway was their only sense of up or down. They weren't sure how to proceed, if there _was_ anywhere to step.

So Meghan put her foot out, Link holding her around her waist to catch her if she fell. She tried putting out her foot, and surprisingly, it touched something otherwise imperceptible. She put more of her weight on it and was fine. She stepped her other foot out, still grasping Link. She concluded that it was safe "ground."

Link tried next, his steps held by invisible floor as well.

Sheik tried next, and they were still cautious. She took a light step and was fine. Her next step wasn't so careful, so she was surprised when her body lurched forward out into nothingness. She gasped and Meghan jerked forward as if to catch her, her stomach twisting in fear.

But Sheik was fine. She began to float in thin air, squirming about in surprised motions. But she soon figured out that she could move herself. Meghan and Link were too afraid to take more steps.

"OK, so what are we supposed to do now?" Meghan asked in a hushed voice, holding her hand out for Sheik to take.

Link was surveying the room, but didn't find anything distinct in the vast nothingness.

"I don't know," he said, taking a step forward. Meghan let go off him, afraid to move too. She turned back to the door, and became scared when she realized that it was no longer behind her.

"Link! The door is gone!" she screamed, turning back to face him. But he was already far ahead of her. She ran forward to catch up with him, but she wasn't getting anywhere. He was walking at a slow pace, and it should have been easy to get to him. But it wasn't.

She kept running and running, but she could never catch him. He always seemed to be so far away. She yelled for him, but he never turned. The sky, dotted with bright stars, consumed her. Her breath was running short as her yells became hoarse and distant. Tears were in her eyes. She stopped running. He stopped too, turning to look very slightly from over his shoulder, as though taunting her. She stepped forward and grew no closer. He was floating away.

"Link!" she cried one last time, her body breaking. The lack of air in her lungs suffocated her and she could barely stay standing. She screamed to herself, asking where she was. Why wouldn't he stop?

Then she remembered.

"You're just a dream," she said, her words feeling like they'd formed outside her body, like someone else was speaking to her. Her arm reached forward to him, and the room around her blended into a plain, sand-colored room

Her whole body twitched, as though she'd been jolted awake, and she nearly lost her balance. She turned around to find Sheik behind her.

Sheik's arms were outstretched, her head turning from side to side as though looking for something, though her eyes were closed. She looked like she was pretending to fly.

"Sheik!" Meghan said, shaking her. Sheik's arms fell, then her whole body crashed to the floor. Meghan tried to slow her fall, but as soon as she hit, her eyes flashed open.

"Oh!" Sheik gasped, looking at Meghan. "What…" she whispered in Hylian.

"It was a dream!" She helped Sheik up.

"Where's Link?" Sheik asked after a second.

"I'm not sure."

They looked around. There were giant piles of crates, so Meghan ran to check behind them. He was there, sprawled out on the floor.

"Link! Wake up!" Meghan yelled, going to shake him. As soon as she did, he also twitched violently, then his eyes shot open.

"What!" he yelled, and then he sat up, looking at her.

"You were just dreaming."

"That was so strange…I was falling and suddenly I was on the floor."

"Common dreams," Meghan said. "I was dreaming that I kept running, but I couldn't catch you. And Zelda was flying." She thought for a few seconds. "They mean things, subconsciously."

"Yeah?"

"Well, whatever." She didn't exactly remember what they were supposed to mean. Link and Meghan stood up. "I guess we should keep going…"

"Yeah."

They looked around and found a door with a lock on it. They had a key from a previous room. The room inside the door was a strange flowing rainbow color, characterized by deep purples, emerald greens and midnight blues gliding across the plain walls. "Look! Boss door!" Meghan said.

"But no key!" Sheik said.

"We must have missed something," Link said. "Maybe in the last room? We really didn't look around, did we?"

"No, you're right." They traveled back into the plain room that had once been an endless sky. They couldn't find much right away. "Did we check on top of those boxes?"

"No, but we can't really reach up there."

"Lift me up, I can jump," Sheik said. Link and Meghan helped her get as high as she could, then she bounced and pulled herself up with ease.

"Oh! Look! There it is!" Sheik called. They stepped back and saw the blinding light coming from somewhere. Sheik grabbed it and held it where they could see the ornate key. Sheik jumped down from the boxes, landing in a roll. She presented the key to Link.

"That was dumb…" Meghan commented. "Was the challenge our own sleeping minds? Ridiculous!"

"Yeah," he agreed. "But whatever, we should use it before anything else 'dumb' happens. And we should be grateful this is so easy."

"Oh, yeah..."

The trio went back through the door to the rainbow room. They stared for a second at the door, memories flooding back to Link.

"This again," Meghan said. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" he asked.

"I'm sorry that you have to do this again."

"Then me too," he said. "Sorry for you. And Z-Sheik."

"This is dumb! We're doing our procrastinating thing, Link," Meghan said.

"Let's just go in then."

He stepped forward and stuck the key in the giant lock, which opened and fell to the floor as the doors sprung open. They glanced at each other, and then traveled forward into darkness. The purple and blue rainbow followed the walls into the room, but faded away into blackness. They had no perception of how big the room was. They were quiet, their breathing shallow so it wouldn't make a sound.

Their silence was paralleled by whatever was in the room. Not a sound was heard for the seconds they stood there.

But Link, being who he was, so full of courage, stepped forward suddenly to jostle the war of silence between them. All weapons were drawn as Sheik took a step forward to start to follow Link. Meghan took a breath then caught up with Link, Soe gripped tightly in her hand. They moved forward more than they should have been able to. Any other boss would have jumped out at them by then, but nothing had.

"What's going on?" Meghan asked. Link turned to see behind them, but saw nothing.

"I don't know."

"I feel something in here, but I don't know what it is," Sheik said quietly.

Link turned back around to face forward. Then, with a sudden turn, he looked behind Meghan again. "Ah!" he gasped. Meghan turned to see the scariest thing...ever.

It was a carbon copy of herself, a clone in all aspects. Frozen with shock, the clone and she stared at each other directly in the eye. She and her clone both turned their heads to see that Link and Zelda also had clones. Everyone was staring at everyone, each set of identical twins moving in identical ways.

Suddenly, the world around them blurred and shifted, tilting them sideways so they felt like they were falling. They could smell the same mushroom burning scent. With a sudden jolt, they were upright again, but not in the same places. Meghan was on the floor next to the clone, facing both Links and Sheiks. Feeling light headed like in a dream, she got up and tried to run to them, but the clone paralleled her moves exactly. No matter how she tried, everything she did was instantly duplicated, as though the clone was in her brain.

She opened her mouth to say something, anything to get it to stop, but it said everything that she said, exactly as she said it. Link and Sheik were having the same problem, but now she was not even sure which of them were real. How could they get out of this?

The world around her was drained of color. Suddenly she was in a black and white movie, and all she wanted was to kill the other thing. The two versions both attacked each other at the same moment, swords knocked to the side in shock. They reached for each other's throats, Meghan shocked at her own actions. Strength exactly matched, neither could get free. Both were attempting to choke the other.

Meghan watched the other two from the corner of her eye, using all her strength to keep the clone at bay.

The other two pairs weren't touching or attacking like the Meghans were. Link was slowly circling with his clone, both of their swords ready, little Navis floating above their heads. The Sheiks were simply staring at each other from across a distance, as though afraid to move. Then suddenly they both leaped toward one of the Links, extending their blades at the same time and stabbing one Link right through. The other Link, free from his copy, wasted no time in attacking one of the Sheiks. The stabbed copies both fell to the floor, smoldering and turning to piles of gray blob on the floor.

They had gotten it right! The real Sheik and Link were unscathed. They smiled at each other for one moment, before Link ran to step in with the Meghans, attempting to separate the two. Sheik followed and pulled them apart. Link got the fake Meghan, and Sheik the real one. Meghan didn't want to move, but now the other Meghan was controlling her. She violently broke free of Sheik's grip and charged at the other Meghan, who was still being held by Link, but moving the way she was.

Nails dug hard into her face as she did the same to the clone. Link held out an arm to stop her as Sheik ran back to grab her body.

"Meghan! Stop!"

Both obeyed his command, turning their heads to him. If only she could do something on her own, without a parallel. She raised her hand towards him, the other following. It was impossible for Link and Zelda to determine which was which. How could Meghan let him know? Even their clothes were ruffled in the same way.

If the clone followed her moves, then maybe she could indicate herself, and the other would follow.

"Meghan, tell me which of you is you," Link said. Meghan pointed to the left, to herself. To her surprise, however, the clone pointed away from her, outward just as she had, but opposite.

"That doesn't help me!" he said, staring each one of them in the eyes in turn. "Say something?"

Meghan shook her head. Both Meghans shook their heads in remorse. "We say the same thing," they said eerily.

"Can I trust you to not kill each other for just a second?"

Again, Meghan shook her head. She could trust herself, but not the other one. They let go anyway. The Meghans stood perfectly still, the real Meghan ready to cry in frustration.

"Face each other," Link said. Both their pairs of eyes snapped to his face. Meghan faced her counterpart. Sheik was now behind her again, and Link started walking around them, keeping his eyes on her face (the real one), before he was too far for her to track with her eyes without turning. She focused her attention back on the clone as he finished his circle.

Link stood back and, to Meghan's surprise, took out his bow.

"Link!" Meghan screamed, cried, turning to face him again. Could he even see she was trying? Her head was in such a strange state, she couldn't tell. Everything was getting blurrier, like she was falling asleep.

"Link, are you sure you know which is which?" Sheik asked frantically, moving to him.

"I know Meghan. I would know her anywhere." Sheik stood back. "Meghan. I know who you are. I would _never_ hurt you," he said _intensely_, pointing his arrow between the two of them. With a deep breath, he slowly moved the arrow. But it was going the wrong way.

Meghan tried to shake her head, but the other Meghan tried to control it. Her head twitched in ways it shouldn't have as the forces acted against each other. Link's arrow was then clearly pointed at her. Tears streamed from both the Meghans' eyes. The arrow was clearly pulled, ready to be released. The other Meghan smiled just as he let the arrow go, causing her to smile as well.

But he moved it at the last second, an arrow of blinding light shooting through the impersonator. It screeched and turned into a blob of grayness, Meghan's form melted away. Meghan fell to her knees in release. Link rushed to help her up.

She put her hand to her head. "I thought you were going to shoot me!" she yelled shakily, regaining almost her complete consciousness. Her body was achy as he helped her up, as thought she'd just slept for a long time.

"I would never. I knew who you were all along." He smiled.

"How did _you_ guys know each other?"

"The Triforce!" they both said, holding up their opposite hands, glowing triangles on both.

"They may be able to duplicate our bodies and minds, but they can never duplicate the Triforce," Sheik told her.

"There's also this tiny part of the Triforce in you still," Link said, smiling as though proud that a part of himself was in her being.

"I felt something, but I couldn't tell whether it was coming from you, Link, or her!" Sheik said.

"I thought you were going to kill me," Meghan repeated. "You liar, you didn't know who I was. You just used the Triforce!" she joked. "'I would never hurt you,' my _ass_!"

He looked slightly offended, slightly amused. "Well, I also I watched your eyes as I circled around. _You_ would follow my movements, while your duplicate just stared at you when I was in its view. I would never, ever—"

"Link!" Sheik yelled. The gray blob was on the move. He turned away from Meghan to see it transform into a sort of tentacle.

Meghan cried, "It's a shape shifter!" as Link pushed her back, and Sheik pushed her back even farther.

"Yeah," he said. "I remember!" He took out his longshot. There was no water, but the tentacle that was Morpha was coming out of the ground as thought it was water. Link and Navi targeted the blob in the middle, reeling it in and hitting it. It only took two hits before the tentacle receded back into gray blob. They watched it carefully, Link targeting it next with his bow.

It was just about to transform again when Link shot another arrow at it, and it smoldered at the arrow's point. It lay still for a deceiving second before it attempted to transform again. Link hit it again with his arrows a few times. It started burning and smoldering, then it was completely still.

"Is it…?" Meghan asked quietly. It suddenly exploded into millions of tiny pieces, ashes landing about.

"I guess so…" he responded, and they all looked at each other.

* * *

Back at the camp, it was still afternoon. Link helped Meghan undo the armor pieces. The weather was slightly warmer than it had been, and she was sweating unattractively beneath it all. They had some food to replenish their energy.

"What's with the weather lately?" Meghan asked. "It's not usually this cold around this time, is it? It was so incredibly hot around this time last year."

"Yeah, it's usually hotter by now. I don't know why," Link answered.

"The temperature is matching how we feel," Zelda said, back in her normal form.

"Oh…" said Meghan. It made sense. There was silence as the three pondered Zelda's reply. Then Meghan broke the silence. "I think I'll take advantage of this warmness! I'm gonna go take a bath!"

They laughed at her eagerness. "OK," Link said, turning his head back to finish his bread.

Meghan was suddenly slightly hurt. "Why is that so funny?" she asked, feeling slightly ridiculed. She felt gross after wearing all that heavy stuff.

"You just sounded so excited!" Link responded, still happily.

"Hmph!" she kidded, jokingly mad at Link and Zelda.

Jokingly, right?

She facetiously stormed into the tent to get her towel and soap, Link laughing at her from behind. Inside, where they couldn't see her, she sat on the floor and stared into her hands. Why did she feel upset? There was no reason. It was one of those things where something just irked her, but she didn't know why. She tried to ignore it. She breathed deeply as she stood, then she took her things outside.

"I'm coming with you!" Zelda announced when Meghan came out.

"OK…" But Zelda had just taken a bath that morning...

"You shouldn't go alone!"

They said bye to Link. Meghan walked next to Zelda, her towel and clean clothes in her arms like schoolbooks, grasped to her chest.

"Are you OK, Meghan?" Zelda asked, turning her head to see Meghan as she walked.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"That was scary before, the shape-shifter monster."

"It was…I couldn't get it to stop. It was frustrating!"

"Yes, it was. It seemed so."

They walked on in silence for a while until they got to the stream/river thing. Zelda perched on a rock near the water's edge, facing away from Meghan as she disrobed. Meghan got into the slightly warm water. Once she was in, Zelda turned to her. Meghan started washing her hair with the soap.

"Meghan, do you remember you said in the temple that the dreams we had meant something? Do all dreams mean something? I always thought…only my prophecies had meaning." She spoke in one of her curious tones, the one that told Meghan that she was searching for information from Meghan.

Meghan nodded and lowered her arms. "Yeah, well a lot of people believe that they do. The subconscious mind is crazy. There are whole fields based on the analysis of dreams and the subconscious in my world. No one really knows _exactly_ what dreams are, but I think there are a lot of theories."

"So…do you know what it symbolized for us to be dreaming of what we were dreaming of? If those dreams had anything to do with us."

"I might remember. Well, like my dream, I kept running and running but I couldn't catch Link. But I'm pretty sure that meant I'm trying to find someone's approval, or approval of myself." She had to stop to think for a moment, Zelda watching her intently with her blue eyes. Hadn't she been feeling this way? Like, why did Link want her so much? It was weirdly true, now that she thought of it. "I have no idea how they came to that conclusion, though."

"Interesting."

"Your dream, the dream that you were flying means that you feel like you've overcome something. You're above something, like you're flying above it. I think…well, it makes sense anyway."

Zelda also found this to be true. Hadn't she realized this morning that Luke was not a burden to be carrying then? She had told herself that she wouldn't keep dwelling on him. She'd be back with him soon enough.

Meghan continued to wash herself as Zelda pondered. The Zelda spoke up again.

"What about Link's dream? He was falling."

"Oh." When she tried to recall what his dream meant, she was suddenly shocked. It was like the opposite of Zelda's dream. "Oh," she said again, trying to make sense of it. Meghan squinted while thinking.

"What is it?"

"I think it means that you feel…inferior, or like you're failing in something. Like, I know this is for humans, but like if you feel like you're failing in school or in work…it's the opposite of flying. Not overcoming. Falling under."

The other part she didn't want to mention was that it could also mean he felt like he was failing in love. Since Link didn't go to school, and she doubted he felt as though he was failing in finding and defeating Ganon (or was he?), she was afraid that he thought he was failing with her.

"What's wrong?" Zelda asked, her expression concerned.

Meghan shook her head, going under water for a second to rinse all the soap from herself. She indicated to Zelda to turn around so she could get out. She wrapped her towel around herself.

"What is it, Meghan?"

"Well…" She wasn't sure if she should say.

"Don't tell him this, please. I don't know if this means anything."

"All right, I promise I won't."

Meghan walked closer to her. "It could mean that Link thinks he's failing in…well, love…like with me. Like he's losing control, like he thinks I don't…love him like I used to. Or something."

"Oh, goddesses. But you love him all the same!"

"I do! I swear it. I just think…this is hard. Maybe now he feels more like we're growing apart because we are busy with worrying and saving people, but it's just because we're closer now. Last year, when we had to do this, we weren't nearly as close. We were just becoming friends. Now he feels like he has an obligation to protect me or something, but he doesn't. He wants to hand his whole life over to me, his heart…bleeding in my hand. But he can't. I can't let him." She shook her head. "I don't know where that whole spiel came from…forget that."

"No, it's all right, I understand what you're saying. I certainly hope Link doesn't feel like he's losing you, because he's not."

"He isn't! I want to tell him that!"

"Make that known to him."

"I don't want him worrying so much!"

"Tell him that!"

"I _will_." Meghan put her clean clothes on, and the two fell into pensive silence as they walked back to the camp area.

"Hi!" Meghan greeted Link.

"Hello!" he said.

"Hey Link," Meghan began. He turned to her. "Wanna come for a walk with me?"

"OK," he said, not knowing why. "What about Zelda?" He didn't want to leave her alone, either.

"I'll be fine, go ahead!"

"Cool, let's go." She took his hand and led him back down the path to the water, but didn't intend to take him there.

"So…?" he asked after they'd walked a while.

"So?" she asked, becoming nervous to start the conversation.

"We're just going on a walk for no reason?"

"No, there's a reason. I want to talk to you."

"About what?"

"Well…a bunch of things!"

"OK, then, start talking."

"You sound worried. Don't be worried."

"I'm not," he said.

"Well, OK." She took a few more steps, swinging their joined hands in an exaggerated motion. "So, remember we had those dreams? In the temple?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Well you know how I said they mean things?"

"Yes."

"Well I didn't really think of exactly what they meant until I was talking to Zelda." She paused for a second, unsure how to word what she was going to say. "Well…for example, I dreamed that I was running. But I couldn't run fast enough to catch you. Well, like, I think our brains, our subconsciouses tell us things when we are sleeping, things that we may or may not realize while we're awake. I think I was running to chase you because I was chasing your approval or love. Which I was thinking about life was really true. I was thinking of how sometimes I feel like I don't deserve you, but you always love me no matter what."

"Of course you deserve me—"

"No, but wait. That's where I'm getting. Well, that's sometimes how I feel."

"Don't, please."

"I try, I promise. But what I'm getting at is your dream. You dreamed you were falling."

"Yeah."

"Falling…I think it means that you might feel like you're failing. Falling and failing. Do you feel like you're failing Hyrule? Like you're failing at saving it? Because I don't want you to feel like that. You're too capable. You know that."

"Well…" He didn't really think he would fail. he was too determined. But he would feel too overconfident if he mentioned such a thing.

"Do you ever feel like you'd lose me?"

He stopped walking. "I don't feel like I'm failing." He gave her a serious look, now speaking confidently, referring to everything. He was confused about what she was trying to say.

"You don't? But there's me," she pointed to her forehead, "the bitchy moody loser of a girl with no personality and stupid annoying qualities. And you keep taking care of me like I'm actually giving something back to you. But what am I even giving you? And you're always so worried about me when you shouldn't be."

"Meghan, please, don't keep saying things like this." He took her hands. "I love you for the way you are I always will. Maybe it's true that sometimes you seem a bit capricious lately and I never know what's wrong, but I'll always love you. It doesn't even matter to me how you act. You're always still mine, my Meghan. And I hope to the Goddesses above us that I'm not losing you."

"But I just want to be sure that you're not…worrying about me, and I'm trying to make this not sound conceited, but sometimes I feel like you worry about me too much, like you can fix everything but you have to realize that no one can, and it's OK if I'm hurt a little. You can't push yourself to save me from everything. You will never lose me, as long as I can have a say in it. But you don't have to try so hard to protect me."

"I _have_ to, it's my job. If I don't always try to give you everything, what use am I to you?"

"What use am I _ever_ to you? I can't protect you or anything. You're giving more than I can give back. And sometimes that makes me upset because I want to give you the world, but I just can't. I try, too, but I can't." OK, maybe this wasn't the conversation she'd tried to have. It was kinda backwards, really...

"No, the opposite is true. I can't possibly give you everything you've given me. All the happiness. Do you realize how unhappy I was before you? Do you have any idea?"

"This is crazy. _I_ was the unhappy one." She leaned against a tree.

"It is. No matter what I say, you think the same of me. But before you came, I was in ruins. If you hadn't come, I think I wouldn't have survived with my sanity for this long. I know you were unhappy, but I…I had everything on me. I woke up one day and was told I had to save the world. I had no room for failure but I was also alone. I was unhappy. You _saved_ me."

She felt happiness in her chest when she realized. Maybe she had given him _something_. That knowledge filled her with relief.

"But this is the past. It's not important now."

"Yeah. This is weird. We've never really had such philosophical talks about our relationship before!"

"No, not really," he laughed.

"You need to know that I'll always love you and I don't want you to think that you can always save me."

"Well _you_ need to know that I'll love you for longer than forever and that I will always be here for you, whenever you need me. And if you should choose to throw me away, I'll still protect you."

"I'll _never_ throw you away." She looked him straight in the eyes, silent for a few seconds. "And I bet I'll love you longer! Someone can only put up with me for so long!"

"I can put up with you for forever," he said, his eyes smiling as he pushed a stand of wet hair from her face. He pulled her into a hug. "And I'll love you forever plus three," he said into her ear. She giggled, burying her face in his shoulder, inhaling his familiar scent, the one that she loved.

* * *

_Something was there. Something was around her. Why was it so hot? She felt wet with sweat. Something was telling her to wake. It was time to wake up! She had to wake up. For something. Why? What was it?_

Meghan awoke with a jolt, sitting up quickly and struggling through suffocating covers to the surface. Her breathing was hard and she was hot and wet with sweat. Her sudden movements and sounds woke Link up abruptly.

She looked around everywhere, her breathing still erratic.

"What is it?" Link whispered, moving to her. "What's wrong?" he asked, looking around quickly, making sure nothing corporeal had disturbed her.

"I…" she said breathily, "I don't know."

He put his hand on her face. "You're so warm!"

Zelda stirred behind them, waking silently. She propped herself up on her elbow to see what was going on. Link turned to her and told her everything was OK. She nodded and Link turned her attention back to Meghan. Even though he knew Zelda had felt the same surge of Power he had. It put them on edge, but faded quickly as Meghan remained oblivious to its presence.

"I must have dreamed something. I don't know." She felt uncomfortable and hot so she threw off her blanket, toward Link.

"It's still early," Link said. "Go back to sleep." He pulled the blanket back on her.

"OK…" she said. Zelda lay back down. Link beckoned for Meghan to come closer to him, and she rested her head on his chest, his arm secure around her. His embrace was comforting. She tried to think of why she'd woken so suddenly, but couldn't remember what she had dreamed of. She eventually fell back asleep.

He stayed awake, observing the faint glow from the brightening world outside their impermanent home, keeping vigilant watch over the girls as they slumbered.


	9. Temple of Silence

**Chapter IV - Temple of Silence ("No Trivia" - From Autumn to Ashes)(Song plays later in the chapter :) )**

* * *

She woke up in a diagonal position, her head on Link's pillow and her feet at the end of her own bed. Link was sitting up and awake a bit away from her. She rolled over to face him completely. He smiled and said, "Good morning."

"Good morning," she said, attempting a smile on her tired face. She stretched her arms up, rubbing her eyes, then sat up. Zelda was awake behind her, brushing her hair. "Morning, Zelda."

"Good morning, Meghan!" Zelda said, tying her hair back in a ribbon.

"So, what are our plans for today?" Meghan asked, falling backward onto the pillow and staring at the tent ceiling. She put her hands on her stomach. She kinda just wanted to go back to sleep…

"I suppose we'll try to find where to go next. I'm certain there are more paths to follow. We can still feel Ganon. Yes, Link?"

"Yes," he agreed. "I'm hoping that whatever we have to do next is as easy as that first temple." They nodded to agree. "Even though I hope it's not a temple."

"Yes, that would be…preferable," Zelda said. After all, they had gained nothing from that dream temple. Nothing.

"Yeah," Meghan said. "So, who's hungry?"

"Sure?" Link said.

"I'll cook!" she said, jumping up.

"You cook?" Zelda asked.

"Haven't in a long time! But I think I can still? What is there to eat?"

"There's not very much to _cook_…"

"Do you still have those fruits you found a few days ago!"

"Oh! Yes! Some of them must just be ripe! What will you make with them?" Zelda went to her bag and pulled out a bunch of fruits.

"Do we have…sugar?"

"Maybe just a little?" Zelda searched through the bag of food again. "No, sorry."

"That's ok! Anything else that I could put with this?"

"I'm not sure, what else would go?"

"Ah, no, it's OK. This'll work. We have bread, right? I got it! I need a knife to cut them with!"

She acquired everything and proceeded into cutting the sweet, mango-sized fruit into small pieces. She first boiled water, then added the fruit. She hoped that what she was making would taste _somewhat_ OK.

She let the fruits simmer over the heat. It turned into a sticky messy sort of thing. She stirred for a few minutes as they started to turn thick and cooked-looking.

"I think it's done…but I'm afraid to taste it," Meghan said to Link, who was sitting next to her on a broken, fallen tree trunk.

"I'll taste it, then!"

"No! Cause then it'll probably taste really bad and you won't tell me." Really, cooked fruit?

"It probably tastes fine."

"Doubt it!"

"Then what will we ever have to eat?" he asked jokingly.

"Dirt!" she said, laughing. He laughed too.

Zelda came out, clothes changed. She brought the bread with her.

Meghan dared to take a bite. It tasted like…

Quince preserves!

"I think they might be acceptable…" Meghan said.

"Let me taste!" Link said.

"Put it on some bread," Meghan said. They cut pieces off the bread and all three spread the fruits on it. Meghan held her breath as they bit into it.

Zelda smiled right away. "That is a gorgeous taste!"

"That's a funny way to say it _doesn't_ taste good," Meghan said.

"No, it really does taste good," Link said after swallowing. Meghan laughed at him.

"Really?" she asked, smiling.

"Really!"

"Well then, thank you! I feel super happy!"

Though their breakfast was somewhat calm and almost normal (and the entire batch of what became known as Forest Fruit Jam was eaten!) it was time for what they reluctantly had to do.

"Which way are we headed?" Meghan asked, dressed in formfitting black pants, a dark green sweater, and her black boots. Soe was in her hand and her hair was tied back. She pulled that kinda-heavy chainmail over her head and let Link properly apply the rest (since he seemed inexplicably adept at it).

"Hmm…" Zelda said in a breath, closing her eyes. Her head tilted to one side, and Link nodded to agree.

"That way," he said, pointing in the direction of the back right corner of the tent.

"OK."

The ride through the forest was short. It wasn't long before they came to a huge black building, one that looked like a cathedral for the devil. Stained glass windows of fleeting ghost-like figures surrounded the exterior of the building. The giant door, colored in fading black, looked heavy and old.

"Definitely inside," they said. The building wasn't scary despite its darkness. In fact, it was positively beautiful. It was the sort of gothic beauty that Meghan would have been attracted to in her human days, a figure of darkness that seemed superfluous in the already shady forest.

She was entranced by the building. There was an eerie quietness about it; it was peaceful in a demonic way. In her mind, she could see nothing but its beauty. It captivated her. The shadowy windows, the carved designs on the foreboding door, the pointed architecture…

"Meghan?" Link asked, sliding his hand into hers. "Let's go," he prompted. She broke from the dark trance and nodded again, following his lead to the giant door. The two pushed hard on it to open it, revealing a grand onyx staircase that branched out in two different directions. It was the only place to go, so they followed it with caution. The building was full of architectural grace. The murky marble floor gleamed beneath their feet, casting adumbral and gnarled reflections. Their footsteps were the only sounds audible throughout the open area.

There were two doors before them. Both were opened. They chose the door to the left to look inside first. Inside, there were little fuzzy creatures walking around. They looked almost cute, but they knew better than to get too close to them.

"What are they?" Meghan whispered.

"I don't know," Link replied. They took out their weapons and moved forward.

As Meghan stepped forward, she tripped over a bump on the floor. Link turned quickly and dropped his sword tip to catch her as Meghan dropped Soe so she wouldn't land on the sharp edge. The clattering involved caught the fuzzy animals' attention.

The fuzzy things turned to look at them; there was a silent stare down for a few seconds. Suddenly, they bared their razor teeth and knife-sharp claws and charged towards them, bouncing along. Meghan gasped as Link flew in front of her to protect her from the charging beasts. Meghan scrambled to the side on the floor to get Soe as Link slashed the monsters. Sheik cried out, tearing out her twin blades to block the jump of one toward her. Meghan landed on her knees on the floor, picked up Soe quickly and slashed one about to jump on her. She tried to jump up, noticing a monster jumping at Link from behind.

"Link!" she yelled, thrashing Soe out in front of her. She couldn't reach, though, and it sunk its teeth into his shoulder. He gasped, reaching to pull the monster off of himself. Meghan helped by slashing at it once it was removed. Link jumped to the side to protect Meghan from another one. Meghan had seen it, but he'd gotten to it before her. For some reason, that annoyed her. She could've done it herself.

When no more monsters threatened to attack them, Link turned to Meghan and asked if she was all right. Meghan pulled away violently and suddenly. She pushed the loose hair from her face and retorted, "Worry about yourself. You're the one who got hurt."

Link was taken aback by the sudden snappiness of her tone and her harsh movements. He didn't know what to say. He glanced at Sheik, who didn't know what to say either and shrugged. "Well…then…let's keep moving," Sheik muttered. She led the way through the door on the other side of the room.

Complete darkness covered the room. Sheik lit a fire in her hand and illuminated the walls. On the ceiling hung tons of bat-like creatures, but they were pale in color and had huge ears.

"Be careful of them," Sheik said, and they nodded.

"They are Cave Keese!" Navi squeaked quietly. "If you disturb them, they become vicious, like the fuzzy things!" Their steps were quiet, but they tried to make them quieter so as not to disturb them.

"Look," Meghan said quietly, pointing to a hole in the wall. It was big enough to crawl through, and they weren't seeing any way out of the room other than the door with which they had entered.

"Let's go through," said Link, his hushed voice still too loud for the silence.

The bat creatures stirred, flapping their wings. The three froze, their breathing shallow. Whatever this place was, the creatures didn't seem to like any noise. The bats settled down after a few moments and they all nodded to each other, agreeing to go through the tunnel.

Sheik went first, her light illuminating the dark hole. It was tall enough to go through slightly crouched, once they were in. Bat creatures were hanging from the ceiling and to the side. Meghan and Link had to be extra careful not to hit their metal weapons on the walls or floor, and the chainmail proved to be annoyingly jingly if moved the wrong way. While they were making a tight and careful journey, Sheik was traversing the cramped tunnel with facility and feline grace. The hole was jagged, and pieces of the building stuck up from the floor, as though some force had crunched whatever room this once was into its current size. Link reached out to hold onto Meghan, worried that she might trip over the rubble.

Meghan got annoyed that he had to hold her. She couldn't think of rational reasons why, but it annoyed her. She extricated herself from his grasp and kept moving, not even acknowledging him.

The temple was difficult to get through, at best. Though the way was not hard to find, traveling through it creating the least amount of sound was tough. Meghan named it the Temple of Silence in her head, though she was unsure of what it really was. As they went through, the monsters became more and more threatening and the pressure to stay quiet was increasing.

Through the temple, Link's hovering about her made her more and more annoyed. Every time he came up behind her, she wanted to scream at him and make him stand farther away. He just _irritated_ her for a reason she was consciously unsure sure of. She started walking behind him, which would make him anxious, so he'd hold back to let her go ahead. But she wouldn't budge. He wanted to ask her why, but he didn't want to risk the noise. It seemed the farther they explored, the less noise it took to set off the growing creatures, so they exchanged a series of facial expressions and eyebrow lifts.

Another room was opened, and inside there was a large door. It looked ancient and creaky, like the outside door. They were hesitant to open it, anticipating the loud sound it would make.

Finally they moved to it and slowly, quietly tried to open it. It creaked a bit, but nothing too loud. Nothing came after them.

The room inside was beautiful, the stained glass windows they'd seen outside lining this inside. The ceiling seemed so far up they couldn't see it.

They waited, walking forward, knowing something big was supposed to happen in this room. Link was tempted to have Meghan wait elsewhere, again, but that brought a bout of new worries and anxieties.

A sound, a sudden scream, entered their ears and pierced their minds through. The sound came from above, and all three cringed and covered their ears instinctively. The sound stopped, and they looked above to see a black form flying speedily at them.

"Watch out!" Link said, readying his sword. Meghan let out her breath in an annoyed manner. _Obviously, dumb ass!_ She thought vehemently.

The figure stopped just ahead of them, so they could see its features clearly. Its face was covered with ripples of black cloth, leaving nothing but its eyes open for them to see. It had ghostly pale skin beneath. Its hands were held up, clawed freaks of hands that had at least ten fingers on each. The rippling black cloth covered the rest of its body…or it _was_ the body.

"It's a Silence Maiden!" Navi said quietly, holding her frightened yet supportive position beside her charge.

After a two second stare down, it let out another ear-popping screech, causing the three to nearly lose their balance in discomfort. It flew past them to attack, but they moved in time to avoid the pale, clawed hands.

"Hookshot?" Link asked aloud, hoping Meghan would answer him, since she often seemed to have an opinion on which weapon she thought would be suitable for an attack.

"Try it," she said brusquely. He aimed at the ever-moving target above their heads, Navi aiding. He finally took a shot, missing. "Come _on_," Meghan whispered. He shot again, the creature deflecting it with its claws. "Holy crap," she said with frustration, and demanded, "Give me your bow."

He managed a quick glance at her, but did not comply. He instead switched weapons himself, tossing the hookshot to the floor in his haste, and pulled back a feathered arrow. It flew through the air and found its target, and the monster screamed and fell to the ground. Link rushed over to stab it with his sword. Sheik put away her weapons and held out her hands, which glowed and spread a whitish glow around the monster.

"I'm holding it still! Both of you attack it!"

The monster struggled under the blows, but soon learned their weakness. Another ear splitting scream, and Sheik faltered. It shot out of her grasp and scratched her along the shoulder as she tried to avoid it. She cried out momentarily in pain and shock, her hand moving to touch the wound. Meghan ran over to aid her.

"Are you OK?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm fine really," Sheik replied. "Sorry, I just didn't expect that." She lowered her hand. Meghan saw the tear in her clothes, and the severed skin below. The cut was just above Sheik's protective equipment.

Link called to them again, telling them to be vigilant as the monster flew in loops above them. She stared after him in anger as he shot down the monster again.

Sheik rushed over to help, but Meghan stood where she was. She was so angry, she couldn't understand it. All she felt was contempt for him at that moment, like nothing else _could_ be felt._ Stop telling me what to do. Stop treating me like I can't do anything._

She covered her delicate ears just as the creature was about to ascend and scream again. Once more they shot it down, Link glancing at Meghan in between attacks, and once again it escaped and defended itself.

Link tried three times to shoot it this time. It flew over above Meghan, halfway across the room, and he yelled for her to move as he started running. She took a step sideways, her face in a blank scowl. It fell right beside her, and she flipped Soe around and stabbed it straight through, barely watching what she did. She pulled the sword out, and the creature let out a half-hearted, hoarse yelp.

"Take care of yourself. I'm not a baby," she said as the monster turned to ash at her feet. Link just stared. He didn't even know what to say. He was totally and completely lost for words. Sheik looked between them, wondering if something had happened that she didn't notice. Meghan's coldness toward him seemed sudden and uncalled for (and Link seemed to be equally bewildered), but she wasn't sure.

They stared at each other, Meghan's fiery eyes staring condescendingly at his scared and confused expression. His breaths were quick, his heart hammering from the battle. She replaced Soe in her sheath, and looked at Sheik. "How do we get out of here?" she asked in a normal voice.

A blue platform appeared before them, Sheik beckoning toward it silently. No one moved for a few seconds, and then Meghan sighed and stepped forward. Sheik looked at Link, then moved forward too. Link took a second longer, but moved into the light as well.

Suddenly, they were back in their camp area. The horses were there too, and they neighed in greetings. Meghan moved to avoid Link, standing just outside the tent entrance to (attempt to) peel off her extra heavy layers. Sheik went to find something to do to make herself insignificant.

Link walked to Meghan, catching her attention.

"Meghan, what's the matter?" he asked. He but he couldn't think of anything that could have recently upset her.

"Leave me alone," she said callously, working furiously to free herself from the ties. She shied away him when he tried to help, and threw the pieces onto the floor before advancing into the forest. He followed her, into the foreign wilderness.

"No, Meghan, what's wrong? Did I do something? Please, tell me," he said.

She ignored him, walking along the faint path.

"I'm not going to leave you alone in the forest." Silence. "Meghan, please!" he said, taking her arm gently to stop her. "Stop, talk to me."

"I'm not going to talk to _you_," she cried. She flicked his hand free and started quickly down the path. He knew he had to follow her, but she clearly didn't want to talk. She stopped suddenly, turning so vehemently that it shocked him into stopping.

"If you follow me one more step, I will take this and throw it so far no one will ever find it again."

Her hand was on the necklace he'd given her last year, on her sixteenth birthday: a silver treble clef pendant with diamonds set in along the shape. It still hung around her neck, where she had promised never to remove it. Never. He assumed the condition of her removing it meant she didn't love him enough to keep it on.

Her fingers hovered near the clasp. She stared deeply into his eyes, her eyes growing darker by the second, it seemed. They pierced through him with a menacing gaze, paralyzing him. He grew weak at that moment, so weak unlike any time before.

It was in that moment that they were separated, surgically removed from each other. The almighty surgeon sacrificed him, removed their joined heart and gave it to her, the stronger half. What was left of his own heart withered and died within his chest.

So shocked as he was, he barely noticed she was leaving until she was nearly out of sight. Her eyes were burned into his vision and left him in a daze.

When he could no longer see her, everything hit him with an indescribable force. He fell back to lean against a tree.

What had happened?

* * *

**I kind of think that the temple was really short sounding...but I guess I don't know how to develop the temples well. XD Good thing I'm not a game designer lolz. ****And yeah, the ending of this chapter makes me cry. I hope it didn't upset you too much cause it only gets worse from here. O.o Just a warning. It's gonna be an angst-fest. Thanks for reading! I love you. :)**


	10. She Is Everything to Me

**Chapter VII – She Is Everything to Me ("Feel Again (Stay)" – Blue October)(This song is totally perfect, listen to it! :D)**

* * *

Her mind reeled on and on, not stopping for anything. Somewhere inside, she knew it wasn't right that she had just done that, something inside said that she could never take off the necklace. Something said that she couldn't be angry for whatever petty reason she'd just conjured. What was wrong with her?

But suppressing all the rational thoughts was a raw anger that focused on everything negative, despite triviality. Who did he think he was? She hated the way he always came close behind her everywhere, and how he always talked to her when she didn't want to talk. And the way he made her feel so weak, like she couldn't protect herself, when she could.

_He just loves you…_

But if he really loved me, he would let me do things my way.

_He never stopped you from doing anything._

Yes, he has. He is binding me so tight that I cannot move. Don't let me think he is doing enough for me. He's not and he probably never will. I will not settle for something so constricting.

_Where is your sense?_

Right here. Listen to it.

* * *

Neither had returned even an hour later. Zelda feared for their safety, but she felt that Link wasn't too far away. He hadn't moved, but he was probably talking to Meghan. She was just thinking this when suddenly she did feel him moving a considerable distance.

He was getting closer to her at a fast pace. As she stroked Starla, he burst through the trees on the opposite side of the clearing. She turned to him, seeing the weak look on his face. Tired looking and weak, distracted, desperate.

"What's wrong?" she asked in Hylian, fearing bad things.

He looked up at her, unsure what to say.

As she drew closer, she asked, "Where's Meghan?"

He finally said something. "I…don't know. She's ignoring me. She refuses to speak to me." The look on his face sent Zelda into comforting mode.

"I'm sure that it's just a misunderstanding. She would _never_ not speak to you."

"No, Zelda, she's made it pretty clear that she really doesn't want to talk to me," he said, laughing under the stress, his voice nearly cracking. He put his hand through his hair. "I don't understand; did I do something? I can't…I can't even think. What could I have said?"

"I don't think you did; I'm sure she is just under a lot of pressure. She has even been acting strangely around me."

Zelda couldn't tell him how Meghan was complaining about him the other day, though she felt it had little to do with the current situation. She didn't know why Meghan would suddenly be so cold towards him, and it literally _was_ sudden. This morning, she had been happy and fine. Or, it seemed like she had been. She still believed that Meghan was just stressed and her emotions were going insane, just as her own had.

A smaller voice in her head was thinking that the problem was larger than she wanted to believe. It said, what if Meghan was falling under the control of Ganon, just as Luke had? She wanted to dismiss the thought, because Meghan certainly hadn't acted as angrily around Zelda. But unfortunately, she couldn't dispel it completely.

"I don't know what I did," he said, distraught. "And I think I've been acting the same way as always."

"You are," Zelda said. "Really, Link, I wouldn't worry about it. I'm sure she'll come back in a few minutes just as happy as always." Zelda hoped this would happen; she really didn't want to let Link down.

"I doubt it," he said, walking past Zelda to Epona.

Meghan didn't come in a few minutes. Link nearly broke himself in half with worry, so Zelda decided to go look for her, leaving Link in his worry alone.

She had a feeling she knew where Meghan was, and when she arrived there, she was right. Meghan had gone to the water. She was laying on the large, flat rock beside the stream's edge, her hand draped in the water. When she heard Zelda approach, she shot straight up and turned to see who it was.

"Meghan, we are worried about you," Zelda said affectionately. "We didn't know where you went."

"I can go places by myself without getting lost. Really, it's OK, Zelda. But I'm sorry."

"It's all right, but you really scared Link."

"Link," she said scornfully, lying back down. "I don't want to think about that bastard right now."

_Bastard? That kid has laid his life down for you a million times over. You know you mean the world to him. How can you even think of using that word to describe him?_

Shut up.

"He wants to know what he did wrong. Right now, he's blaming himself for everything, and he thinks you don't want to talk to him."

"He's not _that_ dumb, Zelda. He _knows_ I don't want to talk to him."

"My dear, would you like to tell me what's on your mind? You are very abrasive lately. Is there anything wrong?"

"Yeah. I can't stand him anymore, Zelda. It's probably never happened before to you, but sometimes when you get to know someone better, the more you get to know them, the more you find about them that you dislike. There have always been people I've disliked that I've tolerated, but it's really hard to tolerate the person who you're pretending to love. I don't think it ever was love, Zelda. I was just caught up in the melodramatic times." She waved her hands in the air.

Zelda was shocked by her words. She was certain Meghan loved him, she _had_ to.

"Life is strange like that, I agree, but are you completely certain that you're feeling the correct thing? Perhaps it is not the love that you feel is compromised. Maybe it is the focus on the undesirable that is causing you to be confused?"

"No, I'm sure. I've been feeling this way lately. I finally realized what the hell it was. I don't love him."

"Meghan, I cannot say that I believe this, but it's your choice. But I must suggest that if you are sure about this, please don't leave Link…like this. He is terribly upset. Let him know that he didn't do anything wrong. Just let him know that you don't think you are attracted to his qualities, or something else that will let him know that he did not do everything wrong. You know he will continue to blame himself for everything." Zelda still didn't believe that Meghan didn't love him anymore. She was convinced that Meghan was just upset by something. This was too sudden.

"I know."

"Please come back with me. I don't like you here by yourself."

"I don't want to be near him."

"You do not need to be near him. Just be somewhat close."

"Zelda, I want to stay here. I'm fine. Honestly."

"Meghan, I must _implore_…please. It is too unsafe for any of us." Meghan heard the desperation in Zelda's voice.

"Zelda, please. I really just want to stay here. Don't worry about me."

Zelda hesitated, but then sighed in defeat. "Please be careful, Meghan. I'll come back soon."

Zelda turned away with even more hesitation, then headed deliberately towards the forest. She couldn't force Meghan to come with her. If Meghan wanted to stay, she couldn't help that. And she couldn't fix what had happened between her and Link. It would fix itself.

"Look what you've gotten yourself into, Meghan," Zelda said to herself through the forest. "Look what you've done."

"I hate him," Meghan realized. "I hate him."

* * *

It wasn't until a few hours later when Meghan came slinking through the trees of the forest surrounding the clearing. The first person she saw was Link, and she desperately avoided eye contact and did nothing to show she actually acknowledged him being there. He watched her intently, not sure whether he should try to converse with her then, or wait until her hot feelings faded a bit.

She moved right past him and went into the tent. He didn't want to follow her in there.

There she stayed for another hour, until she finally decided she was hungry. She joined the others outside for a brief, silent meal. No one talked. Meghan strayed a bit away from the other two. She made her way to Galaxy, who greeted her kindly. She didn't feel any anger or hate when she became lost in thoughts about him. She massaged him while resting her head against his neck. He was warm and smelled like the musty horse smell that she loved.

It was already dark, and the fire was the only thing that lit the area. The sky was dark and bleak, no stars in sight. The moon was hiding as well, showing as a bright light smothered by blankets of clouds. The trees became a blur of darkness, just beyond the reach of the light.

She was tired, but didn't want to go to sleep. She mostly didn't want to be in the small tent with Link. She wouldn't.

"Meghan, aren't you tired?" Zelda asked suddenly to Meghan. Leave it to Zelda to come and say just what you were thinking.

"I am," she said. "I think I'll sleep out here."

"Why don't you sleep near us? It is bound to grow colder tonight than it currently is. I know you don't want to…be close to him, but you can at least be with me."

"I don't want to be in the same room as him," she said, looking away from Zelda. "I'll sleep next to the fire."

"Please, Meghan, especially at night, what if anything happens?"

"Nothing is going to happen, Zelda. I'm not going to sleep in the same place as him. Thank you, but no."

She walked past Zelda to the tent, and then proceeded to getting her blankets.

"No, Meghan, wait," Link said, bursting into the tent. Meghan drew back, clutching a blanket to her chest. In the dim light, she saw his flushed cheeks and tired eyes, which had no doubt stemmed from her odious behavior. "I'll sleep outside. You stay in here."

Meghan nodded. She liked that idea better.

She stood very straight as Link moved closer to her to get his own things. As he kneeled near her, she suddenly got a terrible fluttering sensation in her chest. She suddenly felt bad for him. She felt like she shouldn't let him do that, that they'd be fine together. Everything was fine. She reached her hand out a bit.

But before she could say anything, he was already gone, and the feeling gently subsided. She found herself wondering what she'd just been thinking. He _deserved_ to be outside.

She redid her bed, calming herself down. She sat and took her shoes off. Zelda was still outside with Link. She lay back for a few seconds, not meaning to sleep, but she couldn't get herself to sit back up, staring at the ceiling. Her eyes drooped, her mind still conscious. She heard quiet mumblings outside and vaguely remembered Zelda coming back in, but that was all.

* * *

The cold air around her swam as she became conscious, her face pressed to the pillow. The sun was bright from outside, but its light was muffled from inside. Meghan sat up and blinked a few times. For a few seconds, she was completely peaceful, until she realized she was alone and remembered the fiery feelings she had towards Link.

She could hear the two talking from outside.

"I was going to, but how am I supposed to now?" His voice was full of remorse and misery.

"I'm sure the…night's sleep has changed her mind…" Zelda's voice said.

"I…hope so."

"Don't worry."

Meghan flopped back down onto her back, putting her hands on her face and rubbing her eyes. The frustration was returning, a dumb frustration with whatever Link did.

She forced herself to get up. She smoothed out her clothes, the same ones she'd been wearing since yesterday. She quickly brushed her hair, and then took a deep breath as she went outside. She saw Link tiredly rub his face.

"Ah, good morning!" Zelda said cheerfully.

"Morning," Meghan said tiredly.

"Good morning…" Link said timidly, afraid to set her off. He feared what her reaction would be.

She looked at him, straight in the eyes. Her face was blank. Then she looked away.

Link looked to Zelda, desperation clear on his face. Zelda's expression told him that she would see what she could do.

"Are you hungry, Meghan?" she asked.

"Yeah," she said. Zelda handed her food and Meghan took it and moved away from them again without another word.

"Meghan, why don't you come sit next to me?" Zelda asked.

"No, I'm fine."

Link stole glances at her when she wasn't looking, but was afraid to say anything to her. They could all feel the tension in the air between them, so as soon as Meghan was finished eating, she got Galaxy and told Zelda she was going. Zelda asked where, and Meghan replied that she didn't know yet.

Link stood, wanting to tell her to not go, or to follow her, or _something_. He didn't. When she was out of sight, Zelda turned to him.

"I'll go talk to her."

"No, Zelda, it's not your problem. You shouldn't have to."

"I want to help."

"No. I'll go. I'll talk to her, and I'll figure everything out, and then we'll be fine. And then we need to find Ganon."

"Link..." It was all he needed to have these problems with Meghan in the middle of their journey. This journey that was causing them to feel as though they had failed the first time around, as though it was not enough. And they seemed to be losing everyone in the process. What was next? Would Link and Zelda be at each other's throats? "The path onward seems full of obstacles right now. Do not worry about Meghan. She will find herself again."

"I have to worry about it." He shook his head. "I'm going to find Meghan first. And find out what happened to my..." he trailed off. His mind went somewhere else.

He got Epona and quickly put on her tack, then followed Meghan's path through the trees. Galaxy's hooves left somewhat traceable prints that he could follow. He followed them for some time, led deeper and deeper into the forest. It made him nervous, knowing that she was so deep into the unknown. And wherever she was going, she was always a distance ahead of him. He stopped for a few seconds to listen for her or Galaxy, but heard nothing. He continued on.

He was getting frustrated, wondering if she was just leading him on some path to nowhere. Maybe she didn't even know he was following her. Maybe she was trying to get lost on purpose. Whatever her intentions, they were certainly not clear to him. Why was that? He knew her so well. He should know what she was thinking, but it was completely eluding him.

He heard a noise behind him, like the snapping of twigs, and there she stood, with an expression that was anything but happy.

"Why are you following me?" she asked rancorously. Her heart was beating madly, she felt so angry. He dismounted and walked closer to her. Galaxy's reigns were in her hand, and she stepped back to be next to the horse. Almost like she was afraid of him.

"I need to talk to you, please, Meghan." He tried to make himself look as innocuous as possible.

"Talk, then." She noticed his tired looking face. She knew he hadn't gotten much sleep, if any, the night before.

"What's wrong?" he said exasperatedly. "Why won't you _talk_ to me? Did I do something wrong?"

"Yes, Link, you did something wrong. That's why I'm not talking to you. I answered your questions. Now leave me alone." Her voice was shaking. She wasn't good at this arguing, demanding, yelling thing.

"But what did I do?" he begged. "Please tell me, I'm sorry for whatever it was…can I make up for it somehow? Please, we can't continue like this."

"No, you're still doing it! You do all these things that are so annoying, and sometimes I can't stand them. I'm _tired_ of pretending."

"Pretending _what_?"

"Pretending about everything…pretending that I want to be with you every moment of the day, pretending that I…need you, like some drug." She took a deep breath, ready to say what she knew would hurt him. "Pretending that I _love_ you."

Insides were slashed and dropped to the floor, weakness taking over his body. Couldn't she see that that was enough to say? But she kept going.

"No, not pretending that I love you. Pretending that I even _like_ you. That I can even tolerate being in a room with you. I don't even _like_ you, Link. In fact, I'm pretty sure I _dislike_ you. I know I did feel something for you before, but it's gone now. It was just puppy love, it was lust. It wasn't _anything_ to me. I'm sick of you."

He was left speechless. She didn't love him? Had anything he ever felt for her, and anything he thought she felt back, all been some teenager's high school romance? He was _sure_ he loved her. He _knew_ it. How could he not? But suddenly the possibility that he wasn't loved back seemed very real to him. It had all been a lie?

"Since you look really confused, I'm just going to put this into simple terms. I'm breaking up with you, dumping you, or whatever _you_ people call it. From now on, I'm Meghan, by myself, and you're Link doing whatever the hell you want to do, and I don't have to pretend anymore. We're not together anymore. And _fuck_ this Hyrule crap."

No, this couldn't be happening, he told himself. It was a dream, wasn't it? He vaguely saw her bending down to pull Soe off of her leg. She walked up to him to give him Soe. She didn't _want_ this part of him with her. She didn't want _anything_ of his. He was shaking his head.

The moment she was within a yard of him, she suddenly felt different. Like she shouldn't have said that. Of course she loved him! What was she thinking? She wanted to hold him right then. But something kept pushing her to do this. Something fighting in her mind.

She took one of his lifeless hands and put Soe into it, wrapping his fingers around it. Touching him, she felt her heart give out. _Wait_, her mind screamed, _I shouldn't be doing this. I _shouldn't_ be doing this!_

Her mind brought her back to a time long ago when he'd pressed the Ocarina of Time into her own hands. Her eyes closed as she felt his hand move back to life and hold the sword with his own strength. Her hands on his…

"_Link_…" she breathed, feeling tears in her eyes.

The sword pushed back towards her.

"No," he said, causing her to open her eyes. "This is _yours_. You need to keep it. You need to stay safe."

She could only nod. _Wait, I'm still not taking it all back? What did I just do? Come on! Just do it!_

Her brow was furrowed, but he didn't even look at her.

"Link," she choked, trying to speak. Why would her words just not come out? What was causing this barricade between reason and irrationality?

His hands moved away, warmth leaving cool unfeeling behind. The lightness she'd felt was fading. She tried to hold onto it, wobbling as she stood, her mind running in a million directions. But he was still moving away. She lost them. She lost those thoughts, those sane ones. She couldn't fight herself enough to reach out a hand, to pull him back. They stared at each other from a few feet away, the forest swallowing them whole. Meghan moved first, getting on Galaxy. She went away into the forest.

**No.**

He leaned against the nearest tree, unable to support his own body. His hands covered his face as he slid down the trees, his head hidden in his arms.

* * *

He was completely broken, and although Zelda tried to mend him, it didn't seem to be working. She never expected this to happen. And suddenly, her two best friends were ripped apart. It was like her world was gone; the last thing that was still the same was _gone_ now.

So it wasn't only Link that she needed to mend. It was the whole world, and she definitely couldn't do that. Only the goddesses could help now.

So Zelda stopped right there. In the middle of a broken world, she fell to her knees, and with the forest and the animals watching, she started praying to the goddesses. She prayed for the world to be mended. She prayed for the well being of her friends, and she prayed that her husband was well in Hyrule. She prayed that the evil in the world would leave. She prayed that fighting would stop very soon. She raised her hands to the sky and spoke the Goddesses' names carefully. Only their power could save this. But where were they? Why had they forsaken her, this time around?

Meghan returned soon after. Zelda felt spiteful towards her, spite for ruining what was left of her world. But she refused to add any more negativity to anything. She knew that something about this wasn't right, but she could not help it.

No one spoke a word to anyone. Zelda couldn't speak to Link for fear of hurting him further. She couldn't speak to Meghan for fear of saying anything wrong.

Link was just…broken. He didn't know what to say or do. He sat watching the fire burn out. No one was keeping it alive, and he wasn't about to start. He felt no motivation, no reason to move.

The fire was dying. How does one save the world when one's fire has died?

* * *

Another night in the cold. No sleep. He felt like she'd died. Everything was just a memory. He wanted to go to her and bring her back to life. He knew this couldn't be true life. He was sure he could bring her back. This couldn't just be the end. It couldn't.

Meghan slept like a baby. Once she fell asleep. Which wasn't until many hours into the night.

But she did sleep very well for a few hours. The few hours she wasn't having nightmares.

Part of the good sleep was good.

Maybe.

There probably wasn't a time when Zelda craved Luke's warm embrace more, to cure her of the intense loneliness. She felt like crying, even though she knew she couldn't. Her insides cried, while she lay perfectly still. She supposed her insides were allowed to cry. No one would ever know.

* * *

Where does time go when your heart is dying slowly?

One, left to face the one he loves, standing before him like a memory. He cannot feel her, he cannot speak to her. He can only think, a whirlwind tossing out thoughts of eternal destitution and existential mockery. How to remedy this? There is no way. He is a body with no soul, for it is lost to the cruelty of life, love lost, heartache.

The other, forced to face a memory of her own, a memory that haunts her like a bad dream, a life changing and regretful decision. She scolds herself, tells herself she was a naïve fool. She wasted her own life, thinking it was worth it. Secretly, she believes it isn't worth it. She is reckless. She runs off alone, also lost in tantalizing thoughts. She is angry, she wants no more than to be alone, away from the anger. But the anger never stops coming. She wants violence. She wants blood.

And yet a third is torn. Torn between the hatred she casts away, and between understanding. But what is there to understand? There is no more world for her, and that is simple. Bonds have been broken. Tension rises. She is left more abandoned than ever before, no ally to cure an ailing psyche. Though she is with others more than anyone else, she feels more cast away than any.

So days pass, with their hearts are dying, their hearts not into their mission. Shouldn't they be the saviors of their land? But no, no one helps. They take many steps, looking to find that which they must destroy, but it is nowhere to be found. All are merely lost in thought. Somehow, the fate of a thousand lives is somehow lost in this tragedy. Who will save _them_? This time, there is no one. This time, the chain of awakening is cut short. The princess cannot pour the destiny upon the hero, the hero cannot love the misplaced. The misplaced cannot save the hero, the hero cannot save the princess.

A path leads to the water, where the three find minuscule solace. Two feel the wicked and horribly haunting presences there, one is oblivious. The path leads back to the home. Attempt is made at humor. The humor fails. Days pass. Not a smile. They become more interested in missions to occupy themselves with something else. The harder they look, the more obsessed they become. But nothing good happens.

In a haze, the days keep passing. Monotony, ersatz life. Before they can realize, it has been a week. Or perhaps two. Nothing happens. This is a tragedy.

* * *

**This chapter was basically just angst fluff, sowwy. :3**


	11. Temple of Illusions

**Chapter VIII – Temple of Illusions ("Listen to the Rain" – Evanescence [first half] and "Decode" – Paramore [second half])**

* * *

He couldn't believe how much his hands itched to touch her body. He couldn't believe how much his chest ached when he watched her. The way he felt like crying when she walked by him without a word. He wanted to beg her. He really wanted to, but somehow he felt like it wasn't going to work. He felt weak.

He refused to let this be the end, but he couldn't get himself to fix this. He couldn't save this. He just didn't know how. But couldn't they just…talk? It was a terrible thing to think, that he would only ever be able to talk to her again, but it was better than nothing. He'd just have to try. He had to get that far.

* * *

And then it was gloomy. Gloomy and overcast, and they were all secretly certain that it was going to rain. But all together, not one of them wanted it to rain.

Zelda left the tent quietly without saying anything to Meghan. Meghan watched her leave, indifferent. She changed her clothes before going outside. The clouds were moody and gray and moving in. Link was helping Zelda tie water-resistant material over where the horses stood. The horses stretched their heads up and explored it. Meghan knew she should ask if they needed help, but she couldn't find it in herself to work so closely to Link.

She took two steps forward, looking at the floor as the two went back to the tent. Link went straight past Meghan without a second glance. They had learned how to not acknowledge each other. She raised her head, standing straight, and moved forward as he disappeared inside behind her.

She went to visit the horses again. It was all she had to do, grooming and caring for them with their limited equipment. Though Epona seemed a bit less affectionate than usual.

It wasn't until a few hours later that it actually began to rain. She was again with the horses, under their makeshift shelter. The rain was light at first, the few drops falling over the sides of the shelter. But soon the drops increased in their intensity, pounding heavily above her head, giant drops of miserableness.

She sighed, trying to stay neutral and not angry. She couldn't really stop being so angry. But she was trying. She wasn't, however, trying to correct things with Link. For all she cared, she would never speak with him again.

She saw him walking out of the tent, through the rain, towards her. In a few seconds, he was under the shelter with her. She didn't expect him to be there, but he spoke to her. He spoke to her maybe once daily, usually about very general necessities.

"Please come inside with us," he said. His voice was weak.

"I'm fine out here," she said roughly, turning to pet Galaxy and exposing her back to him.

"Please. This has nothing to do with me. You just shouldn't be out here in the rain. Come inside."

"I really don't want to."

"OK, then," he snapped. "Just stay here, then," he said in a surprisingly stark and apathetic tone. He shook his head, and then went back in the rain.

She heard a tinkle, and looked behind her again to see a familiar light bulb of a creature, hummingbird wings flapping to keep her even with Meghan's face. Her little hands were on her hips, and she gave Meghan a sour expression.

"Hey! You! You could just try to be nice to him! You're making him crazy! And sad!" Navi cried, speaking some of the only frustrated words Meghan had ever heard Navi speak. As she fluttered away through the rain, Meghan saw little sparkling tear drops fall from the fairy's face.

She hesitated for a moment, and then decided she'd probably be happier inside. The water was getting everywhere, even though their heads were covered. It wasn't like she had to talk to him.

She dodged the waterfall coming off the shelter and followed him inside. She felt her anger growing, and she didn't know why. She stayed as far away from him as she could. It was frustrating. Zelda sat in the corner, slowly brushing her long hair. Everyone was stuck in tension. Meghan was growing more and more opposed to the idea of being in the same room as him. Even though it rained, Meghan couldn't stay in the same place as him. He just infuriated her, and it felt like something was pulling her away. She tore out of the tent and ran into the forest, leaving Zelda and Link dumbstruck behind her.

"Meghan!" Zelda cried as they stood. Link's facial expression changed to its worried state. He _knew_ something was different about this time.

"I can't let her do this anymore!" Link said, jumping up and almost exiting.

"Wait! Link!" Zelda said, making a tight fist with her right hand. "I know this sounds…strange, but please be careful. I have a bad feeling about this. I don't know what…" Link walked over to her.

"Will she be OK? Tell me she'll be OK."

Zelda looked away from his bright eyes. "I can't say anything, it's just a feeling…" Before she could finish, Link was already out the door.

"Oh, Meghan, he really cares for you. Look what you've done…"

As he stepped outside the tent, rain soaked Link completely. He pushed his wet hair out of his face and looked around. Then he noticed the faint footsteps in the mud, quickly filling with water. He followed them.

* * *

Meghan ran past the trees and dodged branches, all the while feeling tears forming in her eyes. She slowed down when she thought she had gone far enough away.

"Besides. It's not like he cares enough to follow me." She said these words, although she _knew_ they were not true. If he wasn't following her, it was only because she'd scared him away with her despicable behavior, which had been her goal all along. Then, thinking just that, she started to cry.

"Why do you shed so many tears? The saddest sound, it hurts my ears! Please don't cry, my little girl, are there problems you could tell the Jokester of the World?"

Meghan looked up and flinched, seeing a strange little creature. Its skin was a ghastly white, with rosy, bright red lips and black-lined eyes. The strangest thing was its clothes. It was wearing a jester-like outfit…like something she remembered but could not quite put a finger on…

"Uh…" her heart was beating rapidly because he'd scared her.

He bowed and bounced forward.

"You may call me Jokester." She wiped her eyes. Jokester was tiny and non-threatening. She didn't feel any aggression coming from him, nor did he carry any visible weapons. He kept his distance, only seeming curious to her plight.

"OK, Jokester...do you live around here?" It made her remember that they really had no idea what lurked in these woods. She was only surprised that they hadn't come across this creature sooner.

"Come with me and you will see! My house is waiting for thee!"

_Corny rhymes…_ "Your house?"

"My house, yes, yes, I do agree. Now erase those tears and come with me!" And Jokester started hopping on both feet, like a rabbit, down a path she didn't see before. It stopped raining on her, as though she was covered by a giant umbrella. But she was too curious about Jokester to even notice. He was absolutely intriguing…and she forgot everything else. She was even laughing at his funny mode of locomotion. She felt like she was in a dream, with this little clown-man.

"Are we going to your house?"

"Yes, my dear, we're going to my house," he said, not turning to look at her. "But once we get there, we must be quiet as a mouse!"

"Why is that?" The Jokester turned around and didn't smile.

"My brother lives there, he lives there with me. But he doesn't like when I bring guests, you see. So we struck up a deal, for me and his dislike of noise, he said 'You may bring as many as you'd like, as long as they promise not to use their voice!' And so, I agreed to that perilous pact, so now when I bring guests, they must be quieter than a rat!"

"O…K…" she said slowly, wondering what his brother looked like. She studied the Jokester's clothes. One half of his outfit was red from the shoulder to his feet. The other half was blue. The shoes were the opposite colors, as well as the funky hat on his head. This was a weird dude.

"We're almost home, just look over there! Can't you smell it in the air?"

"Uh…your brother's name is—"

"Trickster, yes! He's the best!"

"Can you please stop rhyming? It's really...creepy."

"Of course! Come, look! There it is! My home!" He sounded less creepy without the rhymes, really.

Meghan walked a couple more steps. There was a cliff there, and over it on the land below was a large building, and it looked very much like an ancient Mayan temple. How could they have missed this in their search? She'd never even seen this entire area.

There were steps leading down to it, and Jokester hopped down them with Meghan following quickly behind. All she could think of was finding out about the strange creature. And if she found a temple along the way…well, maybe she'd go back and find the other two. She could hold her own till then.

Inside, there were strange doors everywhere. Some were huge, and some tiny, as if they led to closets. The giant house definitely fit the little character, if nothing else.

Jokester hopped to a normal sized door. He held it open for Meghan. She stepped inside.

"I'll go get something for us to drink!"

"Um…that's ok. I don't want anything." Was this really a house? She was a tad reluctant to go into the door. Still, she felt no threat. _This really could be an inhabitant of this forest_, she thought. _Who knows what kind of crazy shit goes down around the outskirts of Hyrule? Hyrule is crazy to begin with._

"All right! The person waiting for you here will be here in a second."

"Who?" What? He hadn't said anyone was waiting for her. It was in that moment that she felt her first pang of fear.

He ignored her. "Please, sit down," he said, his voice gentle nonetheless.

Meghan looked at the room. It was dark, but for the sofa and side table, like a living room, in the middle of it. A single lantern cast light around the sofa, but she couldn't see past it into the room. She had absolutely no concept of how large the room was.

It was scary.

She declined the seat, standing awkwardly in the lit circle as he hopped into the darkness. Her hand was on Soe.

* * *

Jokester closed the door behind him. He smiled maliciously at the person before him.

"Well, Trickster, my part is done. Go in and see what we have won!"

"Jokester, my brother, I can fool her with ease! My, won't Lord Ganon be pleased?"

"Yes, brother, yes! You really are the best!"

"Yes, that I knew! I'll be back in some time, I'll soon see you!"

Trickster entered the room. Trickster…well he could trick, for sure. Trick the mind.

Meghan turned her head and didn't know what to think when she saw the person standing at the door, closing it behind himself.

At least who she _thought_ she saw.

* * *

He looked down the cliff.

"_Meghan…I know you're there_," he said to himself as he looked at the temple. He ran down the stairs quickly and entered the building.

When he first stepped in, there was one door in front of him. He opened it to find another room with a few doors around. But directly in front of him was a mirror with words engraved into it. He read it.

"Hero of Time,

The treasure you seek is deep inside,

Come through this temple before you run out of time,

Before she is lost to illusion and to rhyme,

Before I claim her as mine."

As soon as he'd read it, he heard a voice.

"Hello, there, Link! Such a wonderful temple, don't you think? Oh, and by the way, Meghan is here. Don't you want to hold her dear? Wait, I forgot, you're in a fight! But don't you want to have her just one more night? But you can't! She'll be my brother's soon. Right now, she doesn't love you!"

Link glared, looking around and drawing his sword. "Show yourself!" he growled.

"Ah, ah, ah! Don't be angry! Get to us before the time limit ends, and we'll give you your candy! Or maybe, if you give your life, we'll give back your love, very nice!"

"Don't hurt her!"

"Will you give your life?"

"Yes, anything for her," he said without hesitation, "but you _can't_ harm her!"

"Heh, heh…we won't. Don't be fooled by the illusions."

The voice faded out, laughing. It left Link to wonder what to do. He was left alone to complete the temple, and under the pressure of a time limit, and her life on the line…

It probably wouldn't be easy, but he had to start. He tried to open a door to the left, but it started to fall. He jumped back, cursing.

"Damn it…fake door…"

Two more doors were fake, two others opened to reveal the wall, and one wasn't even there. But then he was out of doors.

He took out the eye of Lens of Truth and found a door. He rushed through it.

* * *

"What are _you_ doing here? How did you get here?" Meghan asked angrily. She saw Link in front of her.

"I came to say I'm sorry."

"So? You've told me that before." He stepped closer, and she saw his face, which was sincere.

"But I really mean it. I miss you, Meghan. You're not the same. I can't live without you."

She felt like crying, suddenly realizing. Had she really been angry with him? How could she ever do that? Some strange conflict of feelings occurred within her. She didn't feel so angry toward him as she thought she had been.

"I'm sorry too…" she cried, going to him. "I can't believe…I'm so stupid!"

"I can't believe you did that either," he said, pushing her away from him, but still holding onto her arms. All sincerity and softness left his countenance.

"Link?" she asked, growing scared. He didn't look happy. "I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!" Meghan's eyes started to tear, from being so scared. He was backing her into the darkness.

"You thought you could just do that to me and I'd forgive you?" he raised his hand and she flinched back, anticipating it before he hit her across the face. She stood in shock, her mouth open in surprise. She put her hand to her cheek. It burned with horrible pain.

"Hurts, doesn't it? That's what you put me through. It's no different."

She was breathing heavily, afraid.

She was scared of the one she had loved.

"Look at me!" he yelled.

She was afraid to, and afraid not to. She turned her head slowly. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought that…

…blood was dripping down from her mouth. She looked at her hand, red.

Link smiled. "Having fun?"

"What…what…are you doing?" she choked out. "What is this?"

"Don't speak to me like that!" he said, pushing her harshly to the ground. She tried to get back up, but he kicked her in the stomach. She groaned in pain. "I'm doing to you what you did to me."

"Stop it!" she cried, trying to get up again, but he kicked her again just as she held out her hand to try to shield herself. "Ahh!" He had kicked her wrist and she cried out, feeling a sick crack.

"Stop…hurting me!" she whispered. His malevolent stare was making her sick. "I thought you loved me! I…love you! I'm sorry! Why are you hurting me?"

_He would never hurt her_.

All the times she'd observed his strength, his capabilities and sheer deadliness, she'd always had this tiny fear. She would never want to be the object with which he truly fought. She would never want to be the receiver of his abilities, yet here she was. It was her worst nightmare.

"Stop talking!"

"No!" She rolled, facing the other way, trying to pull Soe from its sheath. She didn't want to hurt him…but he was doing it to _her_.

What had she done?

* * *

Link had found a key and burst into a room that was small looking. There was absolutely nothing in it that he could see, so he used the Lens again.

"Hello, again, Link…" said the same, cackling voice.

Before him stood a short little…thing. It looked rather _stupid_ in its blue and red clothing.

"I'm Jokester. Pleased to meet you."

"Where is she?" he yelled, his weapons all too ready to kill.

"Not too many manners…"

"_Where_?" he yelled again.

"Do you want to see?" He held his hand to the side. A figure, like a hologram, appeared in his hand. He saw the back of Meghan. The picture turned so he saw her face. Even in the tiny model, he saw tears falling from her eyes…blood falling down her face.

"She's bleeding! Why is she bleeding?" It must have been an illusion. Like the rest of this freaking dump.

"No, it's not illusion. And I'll let you see her." The vision faded away. "But you both must die first!"

Suddenly, he was twenty Jokesters, plus a horrible mutated-Jokester-looking monster with pointed teeth, growling. The horrible monster charged at him, but he moved out of its way. Link's face was contorting with indescribable anger.

The monsters spun around him tauntingly, dizzyingly. Link started fighting every one off, with flaring vindictiveness, until the monster in the middle, the leader and brains of the operation, split into a million tiny pieces and flew everywhere. Gasping and seething, he saw a door at his side and he went to it right away. He saw a thing that looked Jokester, but wearing different colors. It stood in front of Meghan, who was lying on the floor with Soe in her hand.

"Get away from her!" He charged at Trickster before he could defend himself and cut him in half. He, too, burst into pieces. What was the deal with these weakling temple bosses?

Link threw down his sword and kneeled next to Meghan. He helped her sit up, but she groaned in pain. Her nose and her mouth were bleeding.

"Stop it! Get away!" she screamed when she looked at him. The anger was bubbling again.

She made an attempt to hit him with Soe, but she was so weak he caught Soe between his fingers, using his gauntlets to avoid the blade. He pulled the blade from her hand.

"That wasn't _me_! It wasn't real!" he said with force. This girl was _going_ to listen to him now. He was done with all the games, especially now. All her antics had ended in her being hurt like this, and he wasn't going to permit anything more.

"No! Why did you hurt me! Get away!" she tried to move away, painfully. Blubbering, sobbing. Anger fading, remorse setting in. "I said I was sorry…"

"No, please, it wasn't me! I swear! It was Trickster; he made an illusion. It wasn't really me. _Listen_ to me, for once, Meghan, listen to me!"

His voice sounded the sternest she'd ever heard it. He was pretty damn close to yelling at her, even, but he kept his ever-calm edge. She looked at him, her face a miserable mess.

"You…" she reached out to touch him, then pulled back her fingers. She felt flickers of heat and flames, of her disdain and contempt, but they were being pushed down. She scooted back.

"It's me…" he said, his voice shaking. He followed her. He _needed_ this girl. He needed her to believe him. The fact that she was looking him in the eye was better than anything. But now he felt so angry for what had been done to her. He felt angry for not protecting her, and angry that she was hurt now.

"Are…are you sure?" Her fingers reached to him again. For the first time in days, he didn't hear anger in her voice.

"Yes," he breathed, taking her finger gently in his hand. "It's me." His hands were quivering at her touch.

He pulled her into an embrace. She felt coolness. She felt release.

And then he felt_ it_. Something running away with its tail between its legs. A fleeting feeling of Power…but it was nothing. It could not be stronger than his own wielding of true courage, nor his love. And everything made sense, then.

He held her tighter, wishing he'd known to do so days ago.

"What…what the hell is wrong with me?" she yelled, sobbing now. "I'm so sorry…I never realized I was hurting you so much. It's like…I don't even know what I was thinking!" She sat leaning against his chest, her head leaning on his shoulder. He wiped the tears and some blood from her face with his shirt.

"I'm sorry too," he said. She sat back, looking at him and shaking her head.

"Don't be sorry. Now you're the one who should hate me. I…I'm such an idiot! I don't even know why I thought that way!" Her mind wasn't thinking straight. None of this made sense.

"Meghan, it wasn't you. I'm sorry that I was too stupid to realize sooner. This was all Ganon's doing. He infected you, somehow, the way that he did to the others. If only I had seen that sooner, seen past all the shock and anguish...I could have saved you sooner...and this wouldn't have happened. I was too blinded by my sadness."

"Link, don't even _try_ to blame yourself..."

"Forget it all. We'll forgive, both of us, won't we?"

"There was nothing for me to forgive you about! You never did anything wrong. I am insane; I'm crazy for ever…ever taking you for granted. You know I…I love you. Always, and I never stopped. Just something in my head…" she shook her head, her brow furrowed. "Something kept telling me otherwise."

"Just forget it. I love you and that's all that matters." Though he said his words calmly, he exploding with anger inside, and the only way he outwardly expressed this was to crush her to him. How _dare_ Ganon get into her head! How _dare_ he touch Meghan.

"But…"

"Come on, let's get out of this place."

_It seems the illusions died when they did_…he thought. _But why is she still bleeding? _The idea of a very different kind of infection, like the one that had affected Erol, passed through his mind. He wouldn't even know what to do about that.

He tried to help her stand, but didn't think she could get herself to. He picked her up, her weight easy on his arms, especially after all that time with nothing to hold.

"You don't have to pick me up..." she said, her face close to his. "I just need a minute." She felt butterflies in her stomach, wondering how she'd ever thought she could give him up.

"No, it's OK. I don't mind at all."

With no sages or Zelda around, there was no way for the two to teleport from the temple. They were forced to trek back the way they came. The room wasn't deep into the temple, so they soon found the front exit, Meghan still nestled in Link's arms. As they left the temple, they saw Zelda at the end of the stairs.

"Meghan!" Zelda yelled, watching them appear. "Oh no, what happened?" She ran to them and quickly teleported them straight back to the camp.

"Link, you can put me down…"

He finally complied, overjoyed that she was somewhat all right, and most importantly, speaking to him. He left his arms around her to support her.

"Are you _bleeding_?" Zelda asked, looking at her wounds.

"I guess so…but it's fine." Was she sick? Had she caught that sickness Erol had? She didn't want to think of herself as sick on top of hurt.

"Well, come with me, Meghan. I'll fix you up. Hurry in here!"

The rain had stopped, but it was still damp and cloudy. Link helped her into the tent, helping her to the floor and taking her shoes off so she wouldn't track mud inside.

"What happened?" Zelda asked.

"After I left…I found this little dude. And I don't know what I was thinking, because it was so stupid," she sighed in annoyance with herself, "but I…followed him to that temple. But I guess his brother was evil or whatever and…I don't really know. I thought it was Link hurting me, but it wasn't."

"Link?" She gave Meghan a wet cloth to wipe the remaining blood off. _Had_ Meghan caught the same disease Erol had? This wasn't good, if she had. That meant she and Link were up next...and especially at this point, they couldn't afford it. At least Link had to stay away so he'd stay healthy...but that was just putting them back into the same situation they'd been in before. Complications and no results, lately, it seemed.

"No, it wasn't him. It was an illusion."

"They were all evil, Meghan," he said gently before leaving her to Zelda's care, after Zelda insisted he leave. He seemed upset, then.

"Where are you hurt?

"My wrist…he kicked it. It feels…numb."

Zelda examined it. It was bruised and swollen.

"Well, hold it out. I will heal it."

Meghan painfully tried to hold the wrist out from the rest of her body as Zelda spread magic over the joint. She tried to anyway, but the healing process was going very slow, like it had when she was…

Zelda's head bounced up, observing Meghan's features. She still looked exactly like a Hylian, but this was like she wasn't…like her insides were human.

"That is odd. It's as though you…Meg, like you have…changed back."

"Changed back? What? To…human, you mean?"

"Um…yes." Zelda was looking down at her wrist. "I don't quite understand." Had it been the same way when she was healing Erol...?

"No!" She touched her ears. "I can't be. I'm still the same."

Zelda sighed, not wanting to put more stress on her. She seemed so adamant about remaining Hylian, but Zelda couldn't hide that she was having trouble healing.

"It is likely a fracture," Zelda said about her wrist. After a few minutes, she knew she couldn't go on. Her strength was waning. "The best I can do is to bandage it. It will take forever for me to heal it, at this rate."

She stood, found one of the bags, and took out some gauze-like material to wrap it. Meghan winced as she did so. It hurt badly. She'd never broken anything before. Just the idea creeped her out. One thing she knew, though, was that Hylians broke bones. They might not bleed, but they had bones and they got broken. She was _still Hylian, _damn it.

"Sorry," Zelda said, about the pain. The wrap was tight, but it kept it in place. The worst part was that it was her right hand. She wouldn't be able to use Soe…now Zelda and Link were _really_ going to think she couldn't help.

Zelda saw her gazing at the sword. "Yes, Soe will be dormant for a while, unfortunately."

Meghan touched Soe with her left hand. "I still have this hand!" She attempted to pull it out, but it was hard to do on the wrong side. Zelda chuckled at her. There was relief in her body. At least their relationships were mostly back to normal. If nothing else, they had each other again.

"Not today, Meghan," she joked. "I think you should take Soe off and rest."

Meghan reached down and undid the buckles. Zelda sighed with relief. The angry movements had left Meghan. It was gone. She was back.

Soe came free of her leg. Meghan held her in her lap and sighed.

"Come on, you should change your clothes! Rest, please." Zelda left, closing the flap of the tent behind her.

Meghan pulled her bloody, muddy clothing off her body, replacing them with a comfortable long-sleeved green shirt and supple black pants. She combed the knots out of her hair methodically, tiring herself and hypnotizing herself. She wanted Link back, but didn't want to force him to do anything. She lay back for a second, the brush in her hand. She meant to continue brushing, but she couldn't get her body to move.

Link came in a few minutes later to find her. He pulled the brush from her hand and covered Meghan with her blanket. She watched him for a moment, as he took care of her. She felt regretful. He could see the apology forming on her lips before it even came out.

"Meghan," he said, looking at her face, leaning down near her. "We know what this was, and I was stupid to not see it and protect you. Zelda and I. We're so sorry for that. This is all Ganon's fault." He sighed. "I don't know how you were able to fall into his control."

She nodded. She still felt like _she_ needed to apologize. Her actions probably weren't even forgivable…but she did feel better knowing it hadn't actually been _her. _Hopefully she _was_ clinging to a shred of rational behavior after all.

"I don't even know what he was thinking, or why everything was fine with Zelda, but I promise, I will avenge this."

Well, it was great to have a boyfriend who was capable of avenging her. Assuming he was her boyfriend again, since she was fairly certain she'd officially broken up with him for a bit.

She couldn't read his facial expression. He was just staring into her eyes calmly. Then he seemed to lose his composure. His face fell toward hers, his hand hesitantly moved to her cheek, his body down near hers.

"But goddesses, it's good to have you back."

* * *

**Fact: This section is one of the oldest parts of the story (starting when she runs away from their camp in the rain). It was either the first or second scene I wrote like way back in 2005, as I was still writing ASW. :D And yay! Not super depressing for once. :) I think. :D  
**


	12. All My Hopes and All My Fears Collide

**Hey. So this is basically where everything starts to go _absolutely_ _crazy_. Sowwy bout that. :D This is also the oldest part of the story, which would explain the crazy _unrealistic_-ness and spontaneity. Btw! Today, November 13****th****, is Link's birthday in the story. XD Happy B-day Linkzorz! In ASW world he would be 22 today. **

* * *

**Chapter IX – ****All My Hopes and All My Fears Collide When You Are Near**. ("Lovely" by Breathe Carolina, "Lovesong" by The Cure, "Lamplight" by A Silent Film)

* * *

"Link, what happened?" Zelda said, sitting next to Link, outside around their burned out fire. She wanted to know everything, but he didn't want to tell it all.

"I followed her footprints and ended up in the Temple of Illusions."

"So it was another temple…"

"Yes. When I entered those illusion brothers had her. One was in an illusion only she could see, and I guess he looked like me. She thought I was the one hurting her…but I wasn't." His hand was in a tight fist, nearly shaking. "Zelda, it just makes me so angry." He felt the need to throw something, or break something.

Zelda was thinking him angry was better than him sad. At least there was passion in it. But she felt the anger in her own heart, and had to try to contain it, with difficulty, as well.

"Zel, I have see her," he said as he stood up.

"Of course. You don't have to tell me. She's sleeping still?"

"Probably," he said.

He found his way into the tent slowly and quietly, to not disturb her. She was on her stomach, the hand with wrapping around it placed on the pillow. Her head was turned so he could see it. A cut was on her face, just below her eye. One cut was at the corner of her mouth. Her whole face looked beat up and exhausted. She'd fallen asleep quickly, with him lying by her side. He'd wished he could pull her into his body, snuggle with her like they always had, but she was too beaten up.

He sat on the floor next to her, pushing a wisp of hair away from her face. She frowned and turned onto her back. He was afraid he had woken her, but she was still sleeping.

He inhaled sharply, remembering the past two weeks. The anger she'd had was vastly different from any anger he'd ever seen, something so unrelenting that it was difficult to imagine it could just be gone. She'd left in a flurry of hatred, but came back her gentle, usual self. He had other things on his mind, too…things he needed to do before it was too late. Before she changed her mind again. Before she had a chance to be angry. He didn't care what they were in the middle of.

Link lay on his stomach, propping himself up on his elbows and studying her. Wondering how she would respond.

Just then, he could hear the _old_ Meghan saying, "Link, I don't really like it when you stare at me so intently while I'm sleeping." He smiled, thinking how she would smile while saying it. He remembered the good days. All those good days. There were so many, created by a plethora of activities that had generated memories. He hoped the bad days were over. The thoughts of them made him want to shake her and wake her up and apologize, and make her apologize and then confess his love for her all over again and just be with her.

But he didn't.

"_When you're sleeping, I always want you to wake_," he whispered close to her ear. "_I just want to be with you_."

He fingered Soe, who lay next to her, then sat up. He had to remember that none of this was their fault. He knew who did this. And _he_ was going to pay for it.

A moment later, he whispered, "See you." He left with Soe.

"Was she still sleeping?" Zelda asked. Link nodded. "Good, she needs rest."

He nodded again and sat next to the fire. He stared into its embers, still glowing faintly.

"I'll go get more firewood."

* * *

They were sitting around the fire when Meghan walked through the doorway of the tent.

"Hello, Meghan!" Zelda said in the middle of Link's sentence. He quickly looked up to see her standing near the entranceway. The swelling on her face had subsided, it seemed, and despite her few injuries, she looked beautiful. _Normal_.

"Hey," she said. She took a step, then reached down where Soe was supposed to be. "Soe!" she said suddenly, not feeling the sword against either of her legs. She turned and took a step, but didn't get far before Link called,

"I have her."

She flipped around as Link pulled Soe off the ground. "I was cleaning her for you. I hope you don't mind."

"No!" She took Soe and sighed with relief. "I just couldn't remember where I put her for a second…"

She sat on the ground, which was cold and still wet. It was immediately not to her liking, but she wanted to be near the others.

"You shouldn't sit on the ground…" Link told her.

She stood, nodding, and walked closer to him, a crazy thought in her head. _Something normal_. She hesitated for a second, wondering if it was really all right to rocket straight back to her normal self (they had to feel some kind of bitterness toward her, didn't they?), before plopping herself down right in his lap, sideways.

Zelda's mouth opened slightly in shock. Then both she and Meghan began to giggle.

"Is this better?" she managed to ask between laughs. All he could do was stare. It was all he could do to not cry from joy. He also wanted to pull her into a ball against his chest, keeping her, but he was still afraid of what she had injured.

After they had calmed down, she stood up, with some difficulty.

"I have a lot of energy." And a lot of aches.

She started to swing back and forth, as though dancing to some unknown melody. Link couldn't think of anything to say.

How could everything have gone back to normal so quickly? This was _how she was supposed to be._ Not that evil, angry thing she had been forced to be. Goddesses, _he_ was going to pay for this, for ever making her into something she was not. It was the highest crime...to turn her into something else.

"Somebody, dance with me!" she said, commissioning Zelda for the job and taking her by the hands to waltz around the area. Zelda giggled even more, feeling deliciously light-hearted, as Link stood and walked to the dancing pair.

"May I cut in?" he asked Zelda. Zelda nodded, letting go of Meghan's hands. Link hesitantly slipped his hand onto Meghan's delicate waist and taking her uninjured hand. They just stared at each other for a few moments. Meghan had a moment of nostalgia, her thoughts going back to the party the Gerudo had thrown for them last year. The first time they'd danced together. With the way her stomach was flipping, she felt that novelty all over again. Then Link smiled and said, "Someone needs to provide the music."

Meghan nodded, closing her eyes. She began to hum, quietly at first, her gentle voice blending with the sounds of the morning forest.

"_Sweet song, sweet tune, plays in my head_

_When I remember it was but a dream._

_Do I remember it was a dream?_

_My tears remind me, remind me to sleep_."

She began to sing as they gracefully moved across the dirt floor, that song of hers sounding so sweet in his ears. The 6/8 melody was perfect for the waltz. They were both lost in the moment, somehow feeling reunited completely. They both knew that at that moment, they were together as one again.

"My tears remind me, remind me to sleep."

As the song ended, they let go of each other, smiling. Link bowed slightly as Meghan curtsied with her imaginary dress.

"Let's go for a walk, guys," Meghan suggested, feeling rather cooped up in their camp area.

"OK. Come on, Zelda," Link said.

"No, I can't. I have things to do…so many things!" She looked around, quite blatantly, and then produced a torn shirt she had intended to mend.

"Are you…sure?" Meghan asked with a smile.

"You two go. I really _must_ finish all these things." Invisible things, apparently.

"Um…OK…" Meghan said, knowing Zelda was being completely sarcastic. Why wouldn't she want to come? Well, Meghan figured why.

_Thanks, Zel_, Link thought, knowing she'd feel his thanks. He did want a few moment alone with her.

"Bye Zelda!" Meghan took Soe from the ground and strapped her on her left leg.

"Good bye!" Zelda waved as the two turned to the forest path. As soon as they were out of earshot, she added for herself, "And good luck, Link."

"I wish Zelda had come!" Meghan said in a confused voice.

"Oh well." They walked in silence for a bit, both looking straight forward as they walked.

Link opened his mouth to talk, but just as he did, she said,

"You probably hate me a little, don't you…" she said quietly.

"No!" he said loudly, stopping. "Never! I don't care what you think. I'll always love you. The way I did a week ago. The way I did a year ago." He paused for a minute as she studied his lips. "Meghan, I'll never stop."

She couldn't believe still that he could just keep loving her and not be even slightly angry with her. She couldn't think of anything to say.

"Thank you," was all she could come up with. She stepped forward to embrace him.

"_I'm only telling you the truth_," he whispered into her hair.

"I love you, too," she said fiercely, squeezing him tightly.

When they let go, they held hands and started to walk down the now-familiar path to the waterfall.

Soon they saw it cascading before them. Both relaxed as they listened to the sound of the water falling and felt the mist splash on their faces. They sat on the rectangular rock that was parallel to the water.

"I like this place," Meghan said as she looked around.

"Better than Hyrule?"

"No, no, but it's pretty." She listened to the birds in the background. "It's so peaceful for something so…not peaceful."

"It's one of those things you wouldn't expect."

"Yeah."

They were silent for another moment, their left hands clasped between them as they faced each other, but Meghan didn't look at him. There was a slight blush on her cheeksHe watched her intently, though, feeling so much relief and confidence now that he was sure she was back to herself. She finally looked at him, and saw the strangest look on his face. He was scrutinizing her, studying her, watching her. At the same time, he was drinking her in. He was desperate. His big blue eyes were wide and they held that familiar hypnotizing gleam in them. And then something clicked. He knew, it was time, and it was now. He had to do it before anyone else had her for even a moment. He had to have her to himself.

"Meghan…" he said hesitantly, bringing her attention fully to him. "…You know…just how special you are to me? I love you more than anything. Even 'love' isn't the word to describe how much I love you. I will always love you." _Suave words, Link_, he said to himself. _Y__ou should have practiced this a bit. _

"I know," she said, smiling.

He switched hands, holding her hand with his right as he reached his left hand into his pocket.

"I was…just wondering, though. Will you always love me?"

"Yes I will—"

He freed her hand as he opened a small wooden box and showed her its contents.

Her eyes widened as she realized what was in the box, what was going on. The timing totally baffled her. She frowned for a second, then smiled, then looked at him, pure confusion on her face.

"What?"

She stared at that box. Despite the fact that his insides were currently exploding with fear (which he rarely felt) , he couldn't help his smirk. He always loved her reactions when she was surprised (it was a guilty pleasure of his).

"Wait, _what_?" He didn't say a thing. "Oh goddesses!" she cried. When she looked up at him, he almost seemed nervous. He seemed to even pull back a bit, as though actually realizing that this was weird. But he still stared at her earnestly, encouragingly.

"Yes, Link, I will always, always love you." He smiled, such a happy smile. "Oh god! _What_?"

He pulled a silver ring out of the box...

"So you'll marry me?" he said in a low voice, looking down.

He gently slid it onto her left ring finger as she covered her mouth with her right hand.

"Oh my god! I'm only seventeen…this is like…what? Yes! Oh, of course I will! Why do you even have to ask?" She laughed, surprised, shocked, happy, scared…wtf...

But then she realized why he would have to ask. And she wished the last two weeks of her life just didn't exist.

He leaned forward and gave her a hesitant kiss. She smiled when he moved away, and then looked at the ring on her finger.

It was simple, yet so beautiful. It was a silver band with a single diamond embedded in it center. She smiled at it, then looked at him. "Where did this come from? Is there a jeweler person chilling out in these woods? Um, hello, you can come out now...?" She looked around jokingly.

He had a sad smile on his face. He looked down again, at her hand. "To be honest, I've carried this in my pocket for a long time now. I had it…I don't know…as strength. Because I knew one day you would marry me. I just needed this with me as proof."

She felt so sad. She had thought maybe one day this would happen, but she'd had no clue whatsoever that it was coming any time soon. How long had he been planning this now? It must have been before this whole fiasco started, before they left Hyrule.

"I don't think it's safe that anyone knows right now, though. They can use it against us," he said. She knew he was right. "I don't think you should wear it for now."

"Can't Zelda know?"

"Of course she can, but I mean, anyone against us…" He reached forward and touched her hand.

"Right," she said with despair. Then she perked up. "Oh! I know!"

She pulled her necklace out from under her shirt, their special necklace. "Oh, but I'll be taking it off if I put it on…"

He nearly gasped when he saw it. "I thought you'd taken it off days ago!" he said, smiling.

"I was just hiding it the whole time. I never…could take it off. He couldn't do _that_ to me."

"We can make an exception in this case," he said with a smile. He helped her unhook the clasp and slide the ring onto the chain, then refasten it. She looked down at it for a few seconds, admiring how she sparkled in the sunlight. She looked back at him, into his beautiful eyes, greedy eyes. Oh…those eyes…

He kissed her again, longer this time. But before he could move too far away, she kissed him, putting her hand on his face. His hands found her waist, pulling her closer to himself. The feeling of him on her skin made her insides flutter in joy and caused her to shake slightly. He pulled away from her to see her face.

"What?" she asked, but he just leaned into her again, his left hand pushing the ring and necklace back into her shirt where it was hidden, as he kissed her softly. She barely noticed as his hand slid across her collarbone.

He suddenly pulled away again, shocking and confusing her way too much.

"_What_?" she asked, almost laughing. But his expression was almost horrified.

* * *

**How bout that? Link is a fairly spontaneous fellow, isn't he? I'll bet you weren't expecting that! As I was rereading this, I was just kinda like WAAT. I don't even try to understand these characters, man. They just do what they want. **

**It just gets crazier, I swear. **


	13. To That One Wrong Hollow Man

**Chapter X Part I - To That One Wrong Hollow Man... ("Welcome Home" - Coheed and Cambria)**

* * *

He suddenly pulled away again, shocking and confusing her way too much.

"What?" she asked, almost laughing. But his expression was almost horrified.

"Goddesses! Meghan!"

Just then, he realized what he was talking about. She noticed a pink tint around herself. She instantly knew what was happening.

"Don't move away from me!" he cried, moving his body towards her, but it was already too late. His hands collided into a solid barrier. She reached out to touch him, but her fingers were smashed against the gem surrounding her.

The enclosure was identical to the one Ganon had made around Zelda in the Temple of Time a year ago. She tried banging on it, hitting it weakly with her sword, but it didn't do anything. Link drew his sword, but Ganon moved her out of his reach.

"Ganon! Damn it!" he yelled. "Let her go, now!"

"You know the procedure by now," came Ganon's rumbling voice from nowhere. Meghan flinched at the sound. Though Zelda and Link felt him, it was the first time Meghan had proof that he really was here.

"Let her go _now_," Link growled, his face angry beyond words.

"I can't do that," he laughed. Meghan started feeling dizzy, the pink air around her thick and hard to breathe. Soe fell from her hand and clattered inside the small area. She moved farther and farther from Link's reach.

"Meghan!" he cried as she wavered.

"Come to the Temple of Illusions. You'll find me there."

The bubble started disappearing from sight.

"No!" he yelled, running after it before it completely disappeared. "No!"

Once it was gone, he wasted no time. He pulled out the Ocarina of Time as he ran through the forest, playing Epona's song. His steed met him halfway and carried him back to Zelda in half the time.

He barely slowed when he reached the clearing, yelling, "Zelda! Follow me! Navi!" he called. The fairy flitted from Zelda's shoulder, and followed him to the opposite side of the woods.

Zelda knew something was wrong, what with the obvious lack of Meghan, so she too wasted no time in mounting Starla and going off after Link, following the trail he had blazed along the way.

Link rode Epona through the forest at top speed, narrowly avoiding branches and trees. It seemed to be taking twice as long to get where he'd been yesterday, even though he knew he was moving faster atop Epona. He needed to find her…

Finally, finally he was at the hill above the clearing at the Temple of Illusions. He slowed Epona down, dismounted swiftly, and ran down the steps of the cliff two at a time.

* * *

Meghan opened her eyes to see a wall. Just as she was about to get up to look behind her, she heard voices.

"Stop it," a haughty feminine voice said. It sounded so familiar…

"Dammit, woman! What did I do?" It was a man's voice. She knew that voice too.

"I told you to back off. You don't listen."

"I think she's awake!" came a child's voice. Meghan's heart wrenched and her stomach twisted. _My friend…_

She heard someone come behind her. She knew she was being looked at. "Get up. I know you're awake. I can feel your spirit."

It was Nabooru's voice. If Nabooru could feel her spirit awake, then there was no use pretending…could Nabooru really do that?

She slowly sat up, stiffly and shakily. She stared at Nabooru's feet.

"Still as gullible as ever," Nabooru laughed, turning away as she smiled at her friends across the room. Meghan looked up at them.

"You know, she didn't actually know whether you were awake or not. You're so unintelligent. I don't know why Link ever picked you…the bastard." Ruto's stridently articulate voice laughed in Meghan's ears. Ruto lay on her stomach on a mahogany table across the room. The room was finely decorated with wispy curtains and elegant furniture. Ruto stared straight at Meghan, her eyes nothing but blue and penetrating.

At the edge of the table sat Saria, her legs kicking back and forth, innocent like the little girl she appeared to be. Nabooru was now seated in a chair at the head of the table, angled towards Meghan. She smiled at Meghan (Nabooru's smiles were venomous on a good day). She noticed farther into the shadows, so blended she barely even noticed at first, was Impa, taking no part in anything.

The most shocking part of the picture was the man sitting across from Nabooru in another elaborate chair.

It was Shina, the same general Zelda had fired, locked up, and who had disappeared to start them on this adventure. This _nightmare_. He looked different, somehow more menacing and more evil. But it was definitely him.

"Hello, Meghan," he began in a deceiving voice. _Typical_ evil guy talk. "Glad you're awake."

_I'm sure you are._

Four possessed sages and a crazy guy against her.

Not good.

She pressed herself to the wall, fear obvious on her face. Shina smiled and stood.

"Welcome to my…harem, Meghan. I've been waiting eagerly for your arrival. Lord Ganondorf said I could do whatever I want with you." She flinched back as he drew closer. Why was she so afraid of him? Something was definitely different about him. "Except kill you, of course," he continued, "I don't want to do that. He wants to do that himself. But I thought we could have some fun."

He drew even closer. She stood up, still against the wall. Her eyes darted to Soe, wondering if she could use the sword with her injured hand, or her less than equal left hand. As she reached out her hand to draw Soe, he grabbed her wrist with surprisingly quick reflexes. She stared at their hands for a second in shock, and then noticed his smiling. It was a tight grip, a grip she was certain the Shina from a year ago could not have mustered.

He took her momentary stillness to his advantage and seized her other wrist, the injured one, and brought it above her head, smashing it against the wall.

She cringed in pain, losing her balance as needles of pain shot down her arm.

"Shina…well…" she started painfully. "It looks like you're different than before…guess I can't kick you in the balls anymore," she said, using her lewd language because she knew he wouldn't understand.

"Really?" He moved his ugly face closer to hers. He was middle aged and his skin was imperfect, wrinkled. His longish, graying hair was greasy looking (though she wasn't sure if that was possible for a Hylian; he must not have taken a bath in a long time). She turned her head away slightly as he stared at her. "You're worse than the rest of them. One's too young, one's too old. One's a fish, one's a bitch. You could be perfect, Meghan. Play along?"

"Is this…what you think about all day long? I always knew you were a dirt bag. Scum." She tried to make her words strong, though she didn't know what she would accomplish by angering him. _Kick him in the balls again..._

He pulled her arm away from the wall, still holding it high as he could. The pain was unbearable; she couldn't even get the rest of herself to move. It felt like her wrist was being hacked off. After a few seconds of agony, he let go of her with a flourish, so she fell to her knees, and then her body fell forward, grasping the arm to herself, holding it and squeezing her eyes shut so the pain would go away. She bit her lip, tears flowing from her eyes.

_Oh goddesses…make it stop. Link…I need you…_

Shina walked back to the sages as they started laughing.

* * *

Zelda followed Link's trail close behind, then soon found Epona at the top of a cliff. She dismounted, looking down the hill for Link. She hurried down the steps, transforming into Sheik halfway down, as she ran.

"Link!" she called.

"Zelda!" he said, turning and looking at her.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Ganon…said to come here. It's the Temple of Illusions. He said he'd be here! I don't know what to do!"

"Link, calm down. Look," she said, showing him her hand. The Triforce glowed brighter than it had in a long time on both of their hands. "He must be near. Look around, we'll find something. What happened to Meghan?" He walked two steps, searching the area.

He clenched his fist around his sword, visibly shaking as the anger rolled off of him in waves. He didn't answer her question, and she was lead to believe that Meghan had fallen under Ganon's control again and had run off. "Wait…if this is the Temple of Illusions, then maybe the whole temple is an illusion!"

"What do you mean?"

But Link had already run past her to its entrance. "I mean the interior!" he called to her. Sheik followed him through the doorway, but found him stopped just inside.

"Look familiar?"

Sheik gasped. "It's…identical to Ganon's castle!"

"Not quite, but close enough," he said, running to the first door he found.

"Be careful, they could be illusions!" Sheik warned. Link nodded. "Link, calm down! You need to focus."

He took a quick, deep breath. Yes, he couldn't let himself be blinded by this anger…

_Don't worry, Meghan. I'll be there soon._

* * *

Meghan had gathered herself enough to sit against the wall, clutching her wrist. Their attention had all faded away from her, which was good.

Shina and Nabooru fought with each other, Nabooru casting her lovely anti-man insults, as Ruto and Saria laughed at them. Impa was quiet in her shadows. She didn't want to take her eyes off of any of them, just in case, but her mind slipped and she looked down to fix her bandage. When she looked back up, everyone was still exactly where they'd been, but Impa was harder to make out. The harder she looked, the more she was convinced Impa was never really there. She turned her head to the right, then to the left, searching the large room.

"Are you looking for something?" Impa's voice said, beside her suddenly. Meghan's head snapped to her. Impa was leaning against the wall on her right, looking forward just as Meghan had been a few moments ago. Meghan stood quickly, stumbling and nearly falling backwards.

Impa moved away from the wall to face her.

"Fight, girl."

"What!" Meghan breathed, backing up. Impa was even taller than Link and menacing, muscled, and certainly stronger than herself. Trained for _life_ to fight. Meghan was scared.

Impa struck Meghan with the side of her hand. Meghan instinctively put up her hand to block it, and Impa's weak blow hit her forearm (the uninjured one).

It wasn't a very hard hit. For a moment, Meghan thought that maybe Impa wasn't possessed. A glimmer of hope shined in her heart. But she quickly realized she was just deluding herself. Impa probably wasn't trying hard one bit. Impa could kick her ass, if she wasn't careful. But who was she kidding? Impa could kick her ass if she was careful. On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, after a nap, in twenty years...

Meghan noticed the others watching now. Why was Impa fighting her like this?

She took a step forward and hit Impa across the face with the back of her hand, then took her distraction to kick her in the shin. Lol take that!

Impa recovered quickly, knowing Meghan's disability. She kicked high to Meghan's wrist, where it was in a defending position. Meghan yelped in pain. Impa kicked her again, this time in her side, causing Meghan to bend over in shock. One more kick before she could recover, and she was tripped to the floor. She heard laughter in the background. She wasn't particularly hurt, but she felt weak. She felt powerless. Embarrassed even, but as the situation was, there was no room for embarrassment.

Before she could get up to retaliate, Impa was out of sight. Meghan didn't know where she'd gone. They all laughed at her, on the floor. She sat up against the wall again, tears in her eyes. There was nowhere to go. All the sages and Shina were in front of the only door, and the window to her left was several floors up.

Cruelty was Ganon's middle name.

* * *

"Try the first door," Link said to Sheik. They opened the door and walked inside.

It was dark, but their eyes started to adjust. Navi flew ahead of them to offer some light, but they had noticed what was there already.

"Oh, dear goddesses," Sheik whispered. They backed up. The door had locked behind them. "I've never seen so many Iron Knuckles."

Link didn't say anything. He had never wanted to kill Ganon more. He knew Ganon was trying to draw this out, to make Link waste the most time before getting to Meghan. He was going to force Link to fight all these monsters. If that was the case, Link was going to slaughter Ganon the moment he could.

"How can we defeat them all?"

"We have to, any way we can," he said harshly. "Now."

"We need a plan," she said. "If we're not careful, we'll wake all of them." Even Link couldn't deny that they'd be in trouble with a roomful of them.

There were six in the room, all kneeling in peaceful positions, seeming like harmless statues. But the soulless, brainless creatures would snap if woken, and then they would be deadly if the two weren't careful.

"If we set off a bomb to wake them, we might accidentally wake more than one," Sheik observed.

"I'll put one close to the wall. Hopefully only one will get up."

"I'll distract, you fight."

"Right."

"And we will each take one if we wake two."

"Can you?" he asked, referring to her weapons. They were strong and agile, but not the type to destroy armor.

"They will not do as much damage, but I shall manage. I have more than blades to battle with."

"Hmm," he responded.

Link took out a bomb, setting it off nearest to the corner of the room. The first Iron Knuckles rose, angry and searching for whoever disturbed it. He targeted Link, walking forward menacingly. Sheik ran forward and struck it, though, causing it to focus its attention on her. Its back was exposed to Link, who took the opportunity to attack the armor and its weak spot. It grumbled, turning its attention back to Link, but Sheik attacked it again. With the two fighting, it was weakening (and getting angrier) more quickly than usual, but trying to be nimble between the statues was a hard feat. When the Iron Knuckles attempted to strike Link, it accidentally hit one of its comrades, who grumbled in anger as it woke and looked to see had had disturbed it.

"Zelda! Take the old one. I'll take care of this new one."

Sheik nodded and continued battling, the Iron Knuckles in hot pursuit of her.

When both Iron Knuckles had been defeated and their carcasses lay disintegrating, Sheik asked, "Ready for the next ones?"

"We don't have _time_ to be ready," Link responded, already rushing to waken a third one.

"Right…"

* * *

"Get up," that ugly voice called in Hylian. "Get up!"

She looked up slowly at Shina. Ugly Shina.

"Come on, come on!" Shina muttered impatiently. "Well, stand up!"

She did, slowly.

"Hmm…better, but…"

He put his arms on either side of her so she couldn't go anywhere. She reached down to get Soe, but he grabbed her first.

"What's this?" he said, examining Soe. "A pitiful knife."

Her left side was open, so she tried to hop out of his reach, but he held out Soe's tip to the wall so she couldn't move. She stopped short, close to Soe's sharp blade.

"Afraid of your own piece of shit? Now think how many of my friends you hurt with it." He was still speaking Hylian, and was infusing offensive Hylian words in his speech.

He brought Soe up near her neck, so close that if she moved, it would cut her. She didn't want to mention at that point that she hadn't hurt anything but monsters with Soe.

She stared into his eyes, trying to show that she was not afraid.

"Why so silent?"

She stayed perfectly still, not talking.

"Yes? No?" Come on, answer me!" he said in a disgusting way. It was amazing how he could mar the beautiful language. How could one person make Hylian seem so beautiful, when another made it so ugly? Her gaze drifted to the side as though she was uninterested.

He grabbed her face and forced her to look at him. All she could think was that the terrible coldness of his hands felt like a thousand insects crawling on her face. And she didn't want to think about how long it must have been since he'd washed them. She didn't know what to say.

"I hate you," was what she thought of first.

"I hate you too," he said, growing uncomfortably close to her.

"Then get the hell away from me," she growled. "No-brainer, jackass."

"What are you going to do about it?" he laughed a crumbly laugh. "Oh, I love saying that. What _are_ you going to do?" She was silent. "I love this. Having power, for once. Too bad your boyfriend isn't here! Although, I might have to kill him if I see him, so maybe you'd like it better if he didn't come to save you, huh?"

"He's not my boyfriend!" she said suddenly, loudly. It was a sudden reaction.

"Oh, that's right. You hate him too, don't you?" He was so close that he was touching her. Her stomach flipped uneasily, but the wall behind her was, unfortunately, not letting her phase through. "That makes two of us. We have so much in common!"

"We have nothing in common! He's my _fiancé_!"

"Oh, and when did that happen?"

She quickly regretted her words. Though she didn't know how much more damage it could do, he still didn't need to know that part of her business.

"Anyway, that makes this even better."

He grabbed her neck and pushed her to the side, kicking her leg and pushing so forcefully she fell backwards onto the floor. She was surprised how strong and quick he'd gotten. This wasn't the same Shina. And she herself had even gotten stronger since last year, so he was _even_ stronger. What had even happened? No doubt, Ganon had played a part in this, but why would Ganon even care about Shina?

He pinned her to the floor, holding her wrists to the ground. She kicked and struggled, breathing hard. He stared at her, like a piece of meat. It disgusted her and she tried so hard to move. She couldn't let this happen…

His expression changed suddenly, angry. "You…you had my best accomplice killed! My friend!" he squeezed her wrists tight. "What, you don't like this?" he asked in a fevered voice. He began speaking quickly and she had a hard time understanding. "Well, this is _revenge_. Lord Ganon and I are here for _revenge_. On you, on your 'fiancé,' and on Miss Princess Zelda, and once we're done here, that _arrogant, _self-righteous son the the Spymaster," he said in a breathy, mocking voice.

She kicked her legs, but he was holding her so that she couldn't move. Her eyes squeezed shut because there was nothing she could do to stop it. Scream, no one would hear. She tried anyway, the scream loud as she could muster.

"Shina, you idiot! I told you not to kill her!" came a terrible, disgusting voice. One she was sure she'd never be happy to hear. Her problems may have just gotten ten times worse.

"But Lord Ganondorf! I didn't! I'm not!"

"I need her to still _want_ to live."

Shina had gotten off of her, but she still lay there, crossing her arms and rolling over to her side self-consciously. She imagined herself as an unmovable rock. She would just stay there…

"She's perfectly alive."

"Shut up. You failed to do what I told you. You lose your privileges."

"Lord!" Shina moaned piteously.

"Enough! We're leaving." He paused for a few seconds. "Girl! Don't think you can pretend." She didn't budge, but she felt herself moving. She had her eyes closed.

Seconds later, she was deposited on a cold stone floor. Then she heard a metallic clanging sound. It sounded light and delicate, so she was sure it was Soe next to her.

She opened her eyes and looked up. The ceiling was high and the room was long and large. Ganon sat on a throne at the end of the room, opposite the door and only a few feet from her.

The sages were all lined up, suddenly lifeless bodies standing with their hands held out, palms up. As she sat up, she could see that their medallions were in their hands.

"The very same Medallions they had gifted to the Triforce of Courage, that stupid boy. Now they are taken from him, and he is weakened." Ganon smiled at her, a hideous sight.

He stood and walked to each of them, and they came to life as he walked by.

"Sages…girls, go back to Shina. He's going to die soon, so keep him company until then. Darunia and Rauru, get me something to eat."

"They're not toys!" Meghan yelled as each turned into an orb and flew away.

"Maybe, but I still like to play with them."

"What the hell do you get out of being evil? You just die every time. You'll _never_ win. Don't you know that?"

"You'd have to try it to find out what is so wonderful about it." He laughed to himself, facing away from her.

"I'd rather die than be like you."

"That can be arranged. And you have been evil. Don't delude yourself. You would have done anything to get rid of that boy a week ago."

"He has a name."

He ignored her. "Don't you know why you were suddenly so intolerant of him? I pitted you against him. Didn't you realize? It's all part of my plan. I made you evil. You cannot deny it." He turned and grinned at her. It was awful.

"Damn, don't you realize how terribly cliché this stupid evil act is? You're like the bad guy from a melodramatic teenage romance story. You're not intelligent enough to _plan_ things like this." She tried to speak with vehemence, but she was sure her words just sounded scared, as she was. And the pop culture reference? Yeah, he wasn't getting that.

"You shouldn't speak to me in that way. I may lose my temper. My plans...they continue to change, but I only find them to be more perfect as time goes on. Don't you remember how everyone in Hyrule hated you three? In fact, you were supposed to be one of them. I didn't expect the Triforce of Courage to act the way it did, to protect you. It was a little deviance in my plan, but this way seemed to work better for me. I had you come here, meanwhile sending _my_ Triforce of Power to push out the tiny part of Courage in you. It was my plan to have you angry with him when I killed you, so he'd never have any closure. Leave him in constant regret, forevermore. Doesn't that sound heartbreaking?"

He laughed his terrible, evil laugh. Meghan shuddered. Here was a man capable of killing many people, with no regrets. "Your run-in with the Illusion Brothers wasn't supposed to happen that way, though. No, I had more grotesque plans. Plans that would have caused the boy to squirm. As long as you stayed away from the Courage, you would be under my control, but he came too close, too quickly, and drove my Power away. This was something I didn't expect. Again, however, it worked out well for me. Instead of being in constant regret, he'll be in constant longing. He'll want you more than ever. But you're going to die. Goddesses, what _perfect_ revenge. I must thank you, for capturing his heart so thoroughly. I can't kill him, but I can do much worse."

"There's no way you planned any of that. You're just taking credit for what happened. You can't kill me. I'm invincible. And you're a poopoo face." Oh-ho, such taunts.

"No, girl, actually I did." He walked in front of her. "You probably don't realize how much of your recent life I've planned out."

She was quiet. What did he mean?

"Remember that boy I sent to Hyrule? He had a disease. I gave him that disease for a _reason_. I made him bleed. But it was not what you thought it was. No one was going to catch it. I was just practicing on him, to make sure what I'm doing to _you_ works."

She realized she had been bleeding the last few days. She'd thought she'd gotten the disease that Erol had…but then Zelda's insistance that she was changing back scared her.

"I hate you! You…you're so _sick_. Why would you put a _little boy _in so much pain! You're disgusting!"

"_You_ caused it. _Your_ very presence caused that boy to suffer. I didn't make you fall in love with the holder of the Triforce of Courage. This is the consequence."

"I did not," she said weakly, even though she _knew_ that if she weren't there, Erol wouldn't have been sick. "I hate you!"

"I see. Well, then, I'll let you see your lover one last time before you die, then. Just to make parting that much more bitter."

* * *

Link finished off the last Iron Knuckles with an exhausted blow. He leaned over, tired and overwhelmed.

"Link…" Sheik said, seeing how exhausted he was. She wanted to suggest taking a break, but she knew he'd totally reject the idea.

"No…come on." He walked to the chest that had appeared on the other side of the room and found a key. "A key! That's it?" he exploded. "For all that! I really don't think that can be it."

"Lens of Truth?" Sheik suggested, an off chance of a thought. She had to keep cool for him, but feeling him lose his sanity was difficult on her own, since she could feel it all inside her.

"Right…" He tried looking through the lens, and to his relief he found another key, but it was an unusual key. They pondered its use for just a moment before Link hurried them to the next room.

The next room was dark too, and there was something across the room. Certain it was another monster, Link held his sword at the ready. The door clicked closed behind them again.

"Oh goddesses," he said quietly when he recognized the form. "Meghan! Meg!" he called, rushing to kneel next to her. She was against the wall, slumped forward in a vegetative position, her hands at either side clamped in chains. There were cuts all over her skin; dried blood was caked all over her body. She moved her head slowly to look at him, her eyes void of all lust. They simply weren't her eyes.

The skin around her non-bandaged wrist was raw and red. When he touched the chains, he quickly drew back, realizing what had caused the raw, red marks. The manacles were white-hot to the touch!

"That key!" he said, taking it out and quickly opening the locks, but he started to get a weird feeling. Why was she like this? "Meghan, are you OK?" he asked desperately, reaching out to her. Why did she look so empty? This wasn't his Meghan…

Meghan lifted her head to look at him. She reached her hands forward onto his shoulders, opening her mouth and hissing. She bore long teeth as the cuts and scrapes faded from her skin. She knocked him back as her hands turned into hideous ten-fingered claws, her face morphed into layers of rippling black cloth, and her eyes turned a malicious shade of crimson.

Pinning him down was a Silence Maiden. The claws dug into his skin as it shrieked, close to his sensitive ears. It was painful for a second and his face scrunched into a grimace, before Sheik knocked it over, throwing her whole body into it, interrupting the scream. Link's ears rang as sat up, trying to recover quickly from the pain in his ears.

"Quickly, Link! It's coming back!"

He rolled over, grabbing his sword and jumping up, ready. It came flying back, emitting another shriek. They covered their ears and dodged it.

He pulled out his bow and aimed at its face, causing it to fall. "Hit its face!" Link called to Sheik, who was closer to where it fell.

"Right!" she replied, jamming her blades into its eyes. Link managed one blow before it flew up into the air in anger.

"Navi! Go look!" Link yelled, and the fairy flitted into the darkness to find the location of the monster. The two watched from the ground, staring up into the sky for any sign of movement in the darkness. Navi came flitting down a few seconds later at top speed and squeaking, "It's coming!"

It fell down near them, swooping over their ducked heads. It flew a circle around the edge of the room, then came whizzing back to them in the center, headed towards Sheik. Link stepped in front of her.

As it flew toward him, he ran toward it. When it was within his sword's reach, he stabbed it right in the face with their combined momentum. Its screech was despaired and pained, then it died before them, its flesh burning away. Link fell to the ground for a few seconds, his ears ringing and head spinning. Then he stood.

"Let's go," Link said angrily. His grip on his sword was hard, his body far beyond tense. Sheik nodded and followed after him. The door opened for them, and they continued hurriedly to the next room.

* * *

"All right, here are the rules. You can't speak to him, you have ten minutes, and please attempt to not get overly sentimental because you know it won't last."

"You can't keep me from talking to him! Why are you even doing this?"

"Think again," Ganondorf said to her first statement, ignoring her question. He pointed a greenish finger at her throat, and she started to feel a horrible burning pain in her throat. She clutched herself, bending forward. It felt like her vocal chords were on fire, like every breath she tried to roll over them to create sound was her lungs breathing fire.

"Don't worry, I'll restore it when you get back. I'll like to hear your screams when I kill you."

She opened her mouth to respond, but couldn't say anything. She couldn't even whisper, and the attempt burned like her throat on a hot stove.

"Don't even try."

A gem appeared around her, yet again. She scowled, banging at it, flashing him the finger. Not that he knew what that meant.

"I'm sending you to see him, stop protesting! And yes, I promise it's the real him, the real…'Link.' He's just a bit skeptical, though, because he just encountered a fake you. So maybe I won't even have to kill you. He might do so. That would be equally as rewarding, actually! Oh, how my plans morph so graciously..."

_He won't! You idiot!_

* * *

**Ew, I know that part with Shina is puke-tastic. I'm sorry! XD But unfortunately he's a super hentai skeevy scumbag and also a poopooface so…yeah. ;_; ...I don't like to write about such things. :(**


	14. With That Gun In His Hand

**Chapter X Part II - ...With That Gun In His Hand... ("The Crows are Coming For Us" - From First to Last)**

* * *

The next room was very white and bright, compared to the last room.

"This is strange," Sheik's voice said, but when Link turned to ask what, he didn't see Sheik anywhere.

"Linky boy!" Ganon's voice said. He turned back around, but only got angrier. In front of him was a bubble, with what he thought was another illusion of Meghan inside.

"Ganon, you bastard, stop doing this!" Ganon was taunting him, torturing him.

The gem burst and the figure of Meghan fell to the floor. He approached it, eyes glaring, waiting for it to turn into something it wasn't. If Ganon wanted to mess with him like this, he wasn't going to let it show that it affected him. Link knew that was all Ganon wanted. So he just had to take care of these things with no emotion (but couldn't Ganon feel his emotions, as Zelda could?).

Her eyes stared up at him, shaking her head when she noticed his hands flex around the hilt of his sword, his muscles tense.

_No, it's me! Don't!_ She mouthed. His heart fell for a second, wanting to believe that it _was_ her this time. She seemed so real. So like his girl. But he knew it couldn't be. He was just going crazy, after all these cheap tricks.

"What, Ganon?" he leered snidely, circling Meghan, his voice edging on hysteria. "You can't make an illusion that can speak? You think I'd believe you'd _actually_ send her back to me this easily?"

He raised his sword, Meghan cowering on the floor, her face buried in her hands on the ground.

_Don't, don't…you're not Link! He'd know who I am! Stop it! _Why did Ganon have to play with their minds so much?

She started shaking her head, over and over again, not stopping. Her hair cascaded to the floor, fanning out around her downward faced head. What could she do to stop him if _he_ was an illusion?

She sat up, still shaking her head, staring deeply into his eyes. Were those even his eyes? They seemed so cold…

She pulled Soe out of her sheath slowly, not putting her at ready.

_I don't want to, Link. I don't want to, but if I have to, I'll fight you._

At the same time, he was thinking the same thing. He didn't want to fight _anything_ in her form, but he knew he had to. And he didn't even know where Zelda had gone.

_It's me, I promise._

His sword flew forward, and she was barely ready to block the attack. It was strong. She was certain this was a bit closer to his full strength, the strength he could never use on her. This was Link's strength, not something that could be duplicated in an illusion, she was certain (or was it because she was using the wrong arm?). _This_ was what she never wanted to be on the receiving end of. But here she was, and she was petrified. She never thought that her Link could terrify her so much. She trusted him with everything, but the fact was…he could kill her in an instant.

She couldn't let Ganon have that satisfaction.

She was merely defending herself, trying her hardest to escape every detailed and strong blow he dealt. She was avoiding injury only narrowly, her right wrist aching every time she used it to enforce her weak left hand. She noticed the nuances in his fighting, the ones she'd known for a long time. The more he fought, the more she knew that this was definitely him. But how could she get him to believe it was she? She was trying to think, but her mind was years behind her actions. She was stuck in a defending state of mind, trying to accelerate her thoughts to catch up. Maybe he _was_ holding back a bit, but she still couldn't take it.

She felt the tears at the corners of her eyes as Soe deflected another attack weakly. She started shaking her head again. She could barely see well enough.

Link felt like a machine, a numb machine as he attacked her form. He hoped to the goddesses that he was not making a mistake. As he noticed her weakening, he also noticed tears in her eyes. His attention was temporarily drawn to her eyes, distracting him and causing him to cease his blows for a few moments.

She was suddenly so familiar to him. She didn't attack him either, even though he was clearly open. Was it really her?

What could she do so he knew it was her? The ring! Did he know Ganon knew about it?

She pulled it quickly out from under her shirt, shaking it emphatically. _This is ours._

His tension faded slightly. "Is it really you, Megs?" he asked.

She nodded fiercely and mouthed, _Please believe me. I can't talk. Please_. She lowered Soe, and then even threw the sword to the side, giving him a pleading look.

"_Meghan_…" he whispered. Was it really her? Why would Ganon do this? She shuddered as he said her name.

He still clutched his own sword, but his guard was let down. She walked a few steps toward him, cautiously. After a few seconds of staring, and Meghan's sad and encouraging smile, she ran forward to embrace him. He received her, holding her tight.

"I'm so sorry…I just came across an illusion of you, it wasn't you. But are you OK? Why are you here? You don't look good."

She opened her mouth, but could only let air out.

"What's wrong?" he asked, holding her where he could see her face. "Why can't you talk?"

She touched her throat, pretending to clutch it as though it hurt.

"Does it hurt? Did Ganon do that to you?"

She nodded, a tear dripping from her eye.

"It's OK," he sighed, holding her tightly again. "We'll get it back. It's OK…"

She nodded against his shoulder. Then she remembered something. She moved so he could see her lips as she mouthed, _where is Zelda?_

"I…don't understand…say it again."

She tried again, but he shook his head. She thought for a second, and then took his hand, where the Triforce was. She pointed to the part of it that symbolized Wisdom, and then shrugged her shoulders in a questioning way.

"Zelda? Oh, where is she? Goddesses, where _is_ she?"

He looked around. He had been so engrossed in the Meghan situation that he'd completely forgotten that Sheik had disappeared.

As if on cue, a door neither had noticed flew opened with a panting Sheik coming through (that convenient habit of hers).

"Meghan!" she exclaimed, surprised to see her. This wasn't another trap?

"Sheik, where were you? What happened?"

"Never mind—" she started, but her attention was drawn elsewhere, behind Link. "Link! Look out!"

He turned quickly, pulling Meghan to the side as a sweeping blade swung across the floor. Suddenly, in the brightness, blades and other obstacles presented themselves.

"A distraction!" said Ganon's voice. She trembled slightly and held tightly to Link. "Just to make you let go, because that's the only way I can get the girl back. Your ten minutes are up, by the way."

Stalfos started materializing out of the light. He didn't know how he would fight them, holding Meghan so tightly. He refused to let go.

Sheik rushed forward, grabbing Meghan's weapon from the floor and handing it to her, then dashed forward to kill the Stalfos in front of them.

"Thanks, Sheik," Link said and Sheik annihilated the Stalfos in the area. It seemed more were coming from nowhere.

"He's going to keep sending them until he gets her," he said angrily. Meghan clutched him tightly as he released his left arm to swing at a monster at his side, and then dodged the blade coming back across the floor.

Meghan knew Zelda would need Link's help, or her help. She was afraid Zelda would get hurt. She let go of Link, but he still held her tightly.

"What are you doing?" he asked. She shook her head. She pointed at Zelda, who was attacking Stalfos after Stalfos.

"She's fine, _don't_ let go!" He held her tightly with his right arm. "Sheik, take Meghan! I'll fight. Just-"

"_She wants to go, just let her go_," a voice called through the air, as Ganon's had. It was a sweet, childish voice, and they all recognized it immediately.

"Saria!" Link yelled. "Stop!"

"Come on, Meghan, come with me. Zelda needs Link's help, let's let him help her. Follow me, follow me."

"Don't listen to it! Listen to me! Don't let go of me!" He held her struggling arms tightly.

As he struggled, a Stalfos struck Link from behind, surprising him and causing him to weaken just enough so she fell from his grasp.

Before he could grab her again, a bubble of evil formed around her yet again. She realized what she'd done. There was horror on her face as she pounded the pink enclosure with all her strength, crying silently, calling for him soundlessly. She gave up. She let her body fall limp as she cried. There was nothing more to do.

"No!" he shouted. "No, Meghan!"

"I have you!" Ganon said, and she was gone in an instant.

"No! Ganon! I'll kill you! I _will kill you_! No…" He slammed his sword against the ground where she'd disappeared. "_What have you done_?" he whispered. He wondered why he couldn't protect her. He always tried, but he _could never keep_ her. He was always too weak, too naïve, too _stupid_…

He was suddenly in a manic rage. He stood up, his thoughts pugnacious and lethal, and he brutally slaughtered all the Stalfos around him, losing himself, not thinking straight. His consciousness seemed to fade in and out. His thoughts were blurry. Sheik stood back, nearly terrified, recognizing his change. His _eyes_...

"Sheik, _come on_!" he growled, and they ran out of the room.

* * *

The second she returned to the throne room, she ran forward with Soe, ignored the smoldering pain of her voice crackling back to her throat, and screamed, "_**You fucking BASTARD**_!"

Her sword clanked off of the barrier he'd thrown up around himself. She couldn't get to him. She considered using Fury Blast, but she knew it would drain her. She was nearly blinded with rage.

"You have terrible language," was all he said to her. After she gave up trying to get to him, he said something else. "The next room the princess and the boy are going into is Shina's. Hopefully he'll get rid of Shina, that idiotic, annoying…how did you put it? Bastard. And then the kid will come to find you again, but this time you'll either be dead or dying."

"I'm killing _you_." She felt more belligerent than she had ever in her life.

"Don't _worry_ about me. This is part of my plan I didn't tell you yet. I don't _want_ to live past today. I'll probably rot in the Shadow Realm again. I had the ingenious idea, though. If I kill them, they'll go to the heavens and they won't suffer. That's not revenge, is it? That's ensuring they have a _lovely_ eternity. What better way to get revenge, though, than to take away what matters most to that kid? So by killing _you_, the closest person I could find to him, the person he holds most dear, I get my bitter revenge. And I can enjoy it, I can _laugh_ while rotting away." He laughed that horrible, malevolent laugh. "I can just imagine the look on his face. Horrified, _murderous_."

"So…you really think you can kill me?"

It was all she could think to say. He'd just told her his master plan. She was the reason for everything, for all the suffering he'd caused. It was hard to deal with, but she had to remain tough, like it didn't bother her. She knew he could kill her easily, right then if he wanted to, but she didn't want him to believe that he could. _This was the reason super heroes had alter egos…_

"Quite easily, yes. But I plan to do it fairly. You and I shall battle, with only our blades. How does that sound?"

"I hate you."

"You mentioned that. Let's agree…the feeling is mutual." He laughed more. Cackled. "You are a self-righteous little piglet. You deserve nothing because you are _weak,_ but you like to pretend you can walk on the same ground as those chosen by goddesses. But you are barely worth a life. You're an insignificant, tiny Hylian. Now go back in your corner."

She didn't move, staring violently at him.

"No? All right then."

He held out his hand and delivered an electrical, blue shock to her. It knocked her back and flowed through her body until she was writhing in agony.

She rolled over onto her knees, not wasting energy by moving much.

"Oh, look. They've just met with Shina. This is good. I don't like that annoying man."

Maybe she had more in common with Ganon than she liked to believe.

* * *

**onoes teh dramaa**!


	15. And He Silenced You

**So I'm just going to post increasingly shorter chapters until something happens. I think it's kinda embarrassing so I'm avoiding posting it. XD Also, if you have a weak stomach, this is where the real violence starts, so I'm sorry. :D**

**Chapter X Part III - …And He Silenced You… (no songgg cause this isn't really a chapter XD)**

* * *

Sheik and Link opened the next door to find a staircase winding its way up, like Ganon's castle in Hyrule. Link wasted no time ascending it, but Sheik followed cautiously behind. Another door was at the top of the staircase, and when they opened it, they were immediately surprised to see the person standing before them.

"Shina!" Sheik gasped, her deeper voice and masculine body not recognized by the ex-general.

"Link, _Hero of Time,_" Shina spat with vehemence, moving closer to the pair. "Who's your friend?"

"Shina!" Link growled, his voice becoming more and more violent with each word he spoke. "Where's Meghan?"

"Oh…she was here, but Lord Ganondorf took her away. Too bad..."

"If you hurt her, I'll kill you!" Link said, moving forward to Shina, who backed up swiftly.

"I've grown stronger, don't think you can defeat me easily anymore, _kid_."

Shina drew his sword, and swung quickly at Link. Link stepped back, evading easily. Shina tried again, but Link easily deflected his blow. It was easy to see Shina now had a _little_ strength (compared to the nothing he had before), but he was still weak.

"You haven't gotten any stronger," Link told him, his voice deep and laden with more vehemence than Zelda had ever heard. "Just more conceited."

"Link, just _finish_ this!" Sheik said, adding to his tension. Link turned to look at her quickly, then turned back to face Shina. He moved forward with the rapidity of a breeze, cutting Shina in three separate places before knocking him to the floor.

"No! Don't!" he pleaded, crawling backward and struggling to get back up, but Link had disabled the correct areas. Link followed him, his sword pointed close to Shina's neck. "I'll help you find her!"

"You would do _anything_ to salvage yourself. Luke and I should have killed you a long time ago," Sheik said.

"Luke?" he asked, wondering who the Sheikah was.

"That's right," Sheik said intensely, walking forward threateningly as she transformed effortlessly into Zelda. The look on her face was heartbreaking.

"Princess!" he sputtered. "No, save me! I'll be loyal forever, save me from this kid!"

"You're not worth saving." She turned to Link beside her. "Link, if you don't want to…I will." She was terribly serious in this, and for a moment she wondered where the justice in herself and Link had gone. They had such contempt for this person. Were they justified in doing this? Was it truly the right decision to take his life? She thought to how Luke had felt after taking the life of one of Shina's comrades.

Still talking to Shina, Link said, "I know you hurt Meghan. I can see it. Liar." He looked at Zelda briefly. "I'll do this, Zelda."

"No!" Shina cried weakly. "No! I'll do anything!" He tried to get up, but his legs were too injured.

"Why do you want to live so badly?" Zelda screamed at him. "You're worthless! Your very life is worthless! You never meant a _thing_ to a single person, _ever_! No one wants you. _No one needs you_!"

"Have mercy, my queen! I...I—" his eyes widened.

Link raised his sword, hesitating momentarily before no more words would ever be heard from Shina.

"Let's go."

Link wanted to get away from death as soon as possible. He had a hard time believing he'd just done that. But it was justified.

_Wasn't it?_

* * *

**See, whosahassa, I would have given you permission to chop Shina's head off, but I knew Link was gonna do it anyway. XD**


	16. With That Shattering Bang

**Welp, here it is. Goddesses, are you ready for this? This chapter is emotionally charged. I warn that if you are sensitive…well I don't know. You might have to stop reading the story. XD Or skip this chapter anyway, but then you'll be confused. This will be melodramatic, gory, vile, terrible. And I feel bad for it, really. :( I'm sorry if it offends anyone, truly. But you could say I just had this "artistic vision…" It kinda had to happen.**

**Chapter X Part IV - ...With That Shattering** _b__ang._** ("Adagio For Strings" - Samuel Barber)(you seriously gotta listen to it.)**

* * *

"Good! He's dead!" Ganon shouted suddenly.

Meghan looked up from where she sat against the wall, formulating futile escape plans.

"Any second now, they'll come across my maze. Wait…there! They are inside. Our battle begins now."

She was suddenly in another room. She stood up and looked around. It was completely empty and void of any entrances or exits, except the entire wall to her right was made of glass. She could see a twist of corridors until the thickness of the glass limited her view. The rest of the room was gray stone, from the ceiling to the floor. It played tricks on her mind; the room could easily have been twice as large, or twice as small, as it first seemed.

"Draw your weapon! Fight me!" Ganon said, cackling.

She pulled Soe out and stood there, terrified. She backed off. What was she doing? She couldn't _fight_ him! He stood still as though he wasn't expecting her to attack him, completely at ease and not even on guard. Then, so suddenly she nearly cried out in fear, he came forward with a slash of his giant blade. She just barely backed up and moved Soe to block it. The force of the blow reverberated into her injured wrist, causing her to recoil in pain. She changed hands, but Soe felt so foreign in her left hand.

She snuck a quick glance at the glass maze, and felt hope when she thought she saw some movement far away. She struck Ganon just to keep him from striking him first, and he blocked. When their blades came in contact, he used it to push her backwards. She nearly fell, but regained her stability as quickly as possible. He was strong and she was tired. Even if she wasn't drained, this was a battle only Link or Zelda could win. She truly had no business there.

She dodged blows narrowly, but she could tell he was merely playing with her. So much for him being weak. Every second, he hit her again, blow after blow, giving her no time to retaliate. It was all she could do to keep blocking every hit. They were getting harder, or maybe she was getting weaker. She was so out of breath that she could barely keep up with him, and her body wanted nothing but to have just a moment's break. Her body started feeling unusually sluggish and heavy, but not because she was tired. This was such an entirely different feeling that was like a dream to her, something she remembered from long ago, but not quite _so_ long ago. Her heartbeat thudded against her chest. She felt clumsier, tripping over her feet as she was backed into a wall.

Finally, one strike hit her flesh, horizontally across her shoulder, below her collarbone. She cried out, the cut burning with unnatural pain. She got angry and attacked him with all the strength she could muster. He simply stepped back, evading her easily. She cried out again in frustration.

They both turned to look quickly at the glass maze, where suddenly they could see a distinct blue and a distinct purplish shape. Hope filled her heart.

"There they are!" he called in a frenzy, crazed, pacing from one side to another. "Now let them grow a bit closer, so they can see, then! Your dramatic death!"

The blood from the cut on her shoulder seeped into her ripped dark green shirt and smeared on her hand when she clutched it. She pushed some of her hair back behind her ear to get it out of her face (and for a moment had the thought to just use Soe to chop it all off, because this battle was truly life or death), but it wouldn't stay.

Shock drained what little color there was left on her face when she realized what she had become. Her ears were shorter and rounded, scars returned to her hands where they'd been, and her body felt bulky.

"I've been slowly changing you. That's why I'm so weak. You don't even _deserve_ to be _Hylian_. Yes, I'm changing you back to what you were. See this, Goddesses? This is my spite. You have not even power against me." He voice was drunk on evil. He was savoring this all too much.

Zelda had been completely right when she'd tried to heal her and couldn't. She _was_ turning back. Why did Meghan _ever_ not listen to her? She was _always_ right.

She couldn't beat him at all. The best she could do was stall until Link came. That would still take a few minutes…ones she was sure she wouldn't have.

Link could watch now, growing closer, as he ran through the maze. Frustrated every time hit a dead end; his pugnacity grew with every second. He could only hope that those figures really were Ganon and Meghan; he was sick to _death_ of these illusions, not knowing what was real or not. He and Zelda split up, so someone could get there fast.

He could notice a difference in Meghan. As he grew closer, he began to realize exactly what that difference was. _How could she be…_?

Ganon circled around her, and she spun to strike him, but she lost her balance in her anger. Link's body weakened as he saw her nearly fall, still a few layers away from her. Ganon stole a glance at him, a disgusting sneer in his countenance. He turned back to Meghan and, taking advantage of her distraction, suddenly impaled his sword right through her stomach.

Her eyes opened wide as she sucked in a painful breath. She clutched the air, reaching for something to hold, but her shaking hand found nothing but Ganon's armored body.

Link suddenly lost every ounce of sanity he had left. The only thing that kept him going was the thought that _she didn't have to die_. She'd be fine, like last time. In his rage, he slammed his sword down on the glass wall before him in a pernicious blow, shattering it into millions of pieces, surprisingly easier than he'd thought it would be.

Ganondorf slid his sword out of Meghan, catching her by the throat. He leaned down to whisper something into her ear, smirking the entire time, as her scared hands gripped the cloth of his attire. Ganon's hand moved around the necklaces around her neck, which couldn't hold her weight and snapped as she fell backwards.

Link ran to her. Already blood flowed freely onto the floor. He kneeled and took her in his arms. She cringed in pain, her breaths coming in spasms. Then she looked at him and smiled. Her shaking hand moved toward his face, smearing warm redness on his cheek. He could feel the blood on his legs too. Her smile fooled him. He couldn't remember what to do but hold her.

"You…have a thing for stomach wounds, don't you?" he joked, fooling everything. Why be sad? She'd be fine, just like last time! Just like last time.

She was laughing. He could feel her, but he couldn't think straight. Something told him that she shouldn't laugh. He made her stop laughing. But then the smile disappeared from her face, and he searched for it, but couldn't find it. Where was her smile?

Then abruptly he understood. He wasn't supposed to be smiling or joking. Her beautiful face smeared with blood. The warmth of the moisture in his lap.

Her hand landed on his shoulder. The other hand followed. She tried pulling herself up. He didn't know what she was doing, but he helped her. Her lips landed next to his ear and he felt them move as she whispered.

"_I love you…Link_…_thank you_."

Her finger traced a path of blood down his cheek, her shallow breath against his face. Her arms fell limply, her breathing becoming erratic. He took the hand farthest from him and gently squeezed it.

"Meghan, you'll be fine," he choked.

He felt a bit of pressure in his hand, responding. It was scarcely tangible. She blinked, taking a shuddering breath. Then she seemed to hold it.

"Meghan, breathe!" he gasped, panicking. She stared at him, her eyes empty. "Meghan," he said, his voice shaking heavily. "Breathe!" He looked for Zelda. Zelda needed to heal her!

She exhaled slowly. Then he felt everything leave. There was a limp stillness in her body unlike ever before. Her eyes…

He was silent for a few seconds, searching her eyes for the girl who was not there.

_He took her away…_

He touched her face, tracing every inch of it, searching. Then he put his forehead to hers, her body sliding from his lap.

_He took her away…_

A tear squeezed from his eye and fell into her face. He stared into her open eyes, still wondering where she went.

_He took her…away…_

He straightened and gently took her head to rest it on the floor.

Zelda had been holding Ganon off, though she'd wanted to aid Meghan as well.

She noticed Link stand up, Meghan on the floor next to him. She looked at Link.

The look on his face was the single most menacing look she had ever seen. His eyes were beyond blank. They just blue circles, depthless. He stared straight at Ganondorf, his sword in his hand as he walked forward. Even Ganon was taken aback.

She ran to Meghan, falling frantically at her side. Pulse? There was none. She wasn't breathing. There was nothing. _Nothing_.

Tears flowed from her eyes as she let out a choked sob, a cry in anguish. She leaned down, her hands around Meghan's face, her forehead to hers just as Link had done. After a few seconds, she gave her a kiss on the forehead and moved her hand over her eyes. Navi landed at Meghan's side, putting her tiny hands to her face, unable to speak.

"She's dead, isn't she?" Ganon sneered.

Before Navi could help him, Link suddenly ran forward, quicker than their eyes. Suddenly Ganon's arms were not attached to his body. He yelled in pain, but then smiled. Link slashed everything he could, sending Ganon to his knees.

Ganon still smiled. Link swiftly decapitated him, with ease. When the body fell to the floor, he stabbed it three times, green blood splattering all over his clothes. His clothing was a rainbow of red, green, and blue.

Link backed up, breathing unusually hard. He stared at what he'd done. He turned to look at Zelda, kneeling next to Meghan. She looked at him. His eyes gradually turned back to something like normal. His face was the epitome of anger. His vision blurred and he wavered, weakness tearing at his body, trying to drag him down. His arm fell limp, letting the Master Sword's tip rest on the floor, smeared in the pooling and mixing fluids on the floor.

Ganon was dead. He wasn't coming back. Dead, certainly this time. Two opposites...the victim and the predator (or two destroyers?) lying, fading from the world.

Zelda cried. Link stared at her, still on the floor. He took two steps toward her and the body. He hesitated. It was surreal. He leaned down, and he picked her up. How…light she was. _How much, indeed, does the soul weigh?_

Zelda figured that meant it was time to leave. She stood, knees shaking violently, and bent down a few steps away, where Meghan's three black necklaces had landed along with Soe. Zelda reached out with shaking fingers and pulled the necklaces from the floor, clutching them to herself, and then grabbed Soe from the floor. She then straightened and gently touched Link as she transported them outside.

_At what cost?_

All the sages were on the ground outside, all looking dazed and in various stages of getting up. Their possession was gone, but she didn't rejoice for it or even remember what it meant.

When they noticed the two near them, Nabooru sat up straight.

"Oh…goddesses!" Nabooru cried out, the first to notice. She could sense the lack of spirit in the body in Link's arms, and she put her hand to her mouth. They all noticed the blood that covered him completely, and the messy wound in Meghan's body.

"Sages…" Zelda tried to say. Her voice wouldn't work. Saria made small noises, trying to wrap her brain around it. She put her face in her hands.

Rauru shook his head and turned it away. "We were taken over, and our stupidity resulted in this," he said gravely.

Zelda wanted to tell them it wasn't their fault, but she couldn't get herself to speak.

Darunia stood, went to the hysterical Saria and wrapped his huge arms around the girl to comfort her.

Link.

He stood still. He didn't think of anything. He couldn't. His mind wasn't working properly. It was like his thoughts were running away, and he couldn't catch them. He didn't know _what_ to think.

"Link…Link, let's go," Saria said, reaching to touch his arm. He flinched, taking a step back, looking at his oldest friend like he had never seen her in his entire life.

"Link…" Zelda said too, giving him a familiar glance. She felt nothing coming from him. No emotions…just…a tremor. The two girls used their magic to teleport him to where the horses stood. The other sages turned into their orbs and flew away in grief.

Galaxy took a look at Meghan. His nostrils flared and he backed up, whinnying frantically and tossing his head.

Zelda tried to calm him, but she couldn't without her heart hurting and causing her to double over.

Link tried not to pay attention to Galaxy. Instead, he put Meghan on Epona, and then climbed on himself.

Saria held onto Galaxy, and despite her size, she calmed him down effectively by touching her hand to his nose and staring deeply into his eyes.

Link started down the trail back to the camp.

When they arrived, Link brought Meghan into the tent. Zelda and Saria glanced at each other, staying outside and dismounting. They began packing everything, putting it all into saddlebags. Galaxy's head drooped. Starla nudged him.

Link put Meghan down on her bed. He stared at her. It was so completely limp. There was nothing left to her. He couldn't believe it was true.

He took a thin blanket and wrapped her with it. Not seeing her face scared him, but he told himself he had to do it and calmed himself down.

He stared at the shape of her body, the outline. He knew she was gone, but he was beyond tears, beyond functionality. He sat and thought about her. He couldn't take it _already_. He'd rather her hate him and never want to speak to him, if he could just watch her, alive. He knew the meaning of forever, but somehow he couldn't fathom it could be true.

* * *

**makes me BAWL LIKE A BABY. D: **

**Adagio for Strings is so powerful, if you time the reading up with the climax of the piece.**


	17. There Was A Bullet With My Name

**Chapter XI - There Was a Bullet with My Name ("One Wrong Door" - A Silent Film)**

* * *

They rode on until dusk, the horses tired, especially Epona, who had to carry the most. For hours, not a word was spoken. It was dark again and they rode single file along the path, Link in the lead and Saria in the back. The girls had to will themselves to not choke out sobs, to not…to not…

When they could see the moon clearly in the sky, Link suddenly stopped. He dismounted, patting Epona halfheartedly. He walked a few steps, stopped, and faced away from everyone else, leaning his left shoulder on a tree. He looked frail.

Zelda and Saria looked at each other, then dismounted as well, watching him. It seemed so many minutes had gone by when Link glanced back. He turned his head back the other way, and said so quietly, they could barely hear, "The horses need rest."

Zelda moved slowly to a fallen tree near the path, looking at it, then turned back to look at Link. What should she do? Should she try to talk to him? Would he want to talk to her?

Zelda sat on the tree, collapsing backwards in torment. Saria came to sit next to her, pulling her legs up and wrapping her arms around them.

"Zelda?" Saria asked, hesitantly. Zelda turned to look at her. Saria looked so young then, her face tear stained. "I have only felt so sad one other time…that was when the Great Deku Tree died. Even then, I could see it happening, I knew it would. This…I…please tell me…this is a dream." She sobbed quietly, so Link wouldn't hear.

"Oh, Saria!" Zelda cried, leaning towards her as they embraced each other. Zelda's tears flowed down her face. "_How I wish it was_," she whispered feebly.

They waited there for a long while, thinking about other things as hard as they could so that they didn't feel in the moment. Link hadn't moved an inch, and they were beginning to think he'd never move. Zelda remembered Luke, and she wished to see him with everything she was. Only he could help heal her, this broken feeling. A feeling of regret. She still felt no real emotions from Link.

Then Link turned around. They looked up at him. He walked to Epona and mounted. They followed his lead. He started Epona forward without a word, his eyes lost in something else.

They rode through the night. It was dark through the forest, but Link never seemed to notice or mind. The horses were on edge, unsure of where they were going.

When a tiny bit of morning light was barely visible, they came across a familiar place.

Sierace's house was visible in between the trees. They soon broke through the trees onto the long green field before Sierace's cottage.

"Link…" Zelda called, addressing him for the first time in a while. Epona slowed, then stopped. He turned to look at her. "We should stop here. The horses are exhausted…I'll find Sierace, all right?"

He looked down and nodded after a second, and then turned forward. They moved closer to Sierace's house, and then Zelda hopped off Starla and slowly ascended the two steps to Sierace's front door. She knocked lightly at first, but after a few seconds harder.

Link watched her, wondering what to do. No one answered at first, but a few minutes later, a groggy Sierace answered the door. When she saw who it was, she immediately lightened, smiled, and cried, "Zelda!"

"I am sorry to bother you at such a time…" Zelda's unenthusiastic voice responded. Sierace's smile faded.

"Is something wrong?"

"Sierace…" was all Zelda could say. She felt weak in the knees because she didn't want to say it.

"What's wrong?" Sierace asked frantically. She looked up to see Link dismounting, with something the shape and size of a body in his arms, wrapped in stained white. And she'd never seen blood, but she assumed that was what was all over his clothing. By the process of elimination, she realized Meghan wasn't around. And the body was shaped to her size.

"Oh…" she said weakly, shakily. "No…oh Zelda, oh Zelda…" Sierace cried, putting her hands, shaking, on Zelda's face. Zelda put her hands over Sierace's and looked down. After a few seconds, Sierace pulled her hands away. She took a few steps toward Link, but her legs would not hold her. She fell to the dewy morning grass, feeling so cold in her night clothes, staring at Link, lightheaded. He stood with a blank expression on his face, watching Sierace. She had no idea what to do, what to say. The body in his hands was foreboding.

"Sierace," Zelda called with a hoarse voice. "Can you please…watch the horses for us? I promise we'll come back to get them soon, but…I think…I need to take Link home."

"Of course, anything…anything…" Sierace said, staring at her cousin. His eyes were mostly empty, on the verge of feeling, but not quite there.

Saria dismounted and brought Galaxy near Starla and Epona. She massaged him gently, comforting him.

"Link…" Sierace started. She could find no words to say. She had nowhere to start. "Everything will be fine…" she whispered, barely audible.

Zelda solemnly touched Link's arm, a burst of magic appearing around them. They disappeared before Sierace, who started crying. Saria went to her to comfort her.

"What…how could this happen? What happened?" she stammered.

"Ganondorf…" was all Saria could choke out. She couldn't speak, the lump in her throat disabling her voice.

"Just a few days ago, she was fine…oh…the poor girl! My poor Link! Oh…I must go to Hyrule…"

Saria and Sierace eventually went back into Sierace's house. Erol's mother had woken when she heard the door closing, and she came to ask Sierace what was wrong.

Faced with Sierace's tearstained and troubled face, Mrs. Masitima asked what had happened.

"Meg…Meghan…"

"What about her?" she asked, frantic in seeing Sierace's emotions. "Is she…not well?"

"She has…" Sierace started, putting her delicate face into her hands. Mrs. Masitima found a handkerchief and handed it to Sierace. Saria started to frown, but tried to hold back her tears.

"She's not…" Mrs. Masitima began, but all Saria could do was nod her head, not looking at either of them and tears falling to Sierace's floor.

"Oh…the sweet girl!" Mrs. Masitima exclaimed, her voice resonating with maudlin feelings as she helped Sierace and Saria to the sofa.

* * *

Zelda, Link, and the disguised corpse emerged in a familiar place. Ahead, Hyrule Field glistened in the moonlight, calm and still in the night. So familiar it was that Link grew weak at the sight of it. Memories covered the area like heavy rain, falling on him with such brutal intensity that he couldn't stand there much longer. Link turned to Kokiri Forest. Zelda trailed behind, following Link into the entrance with the body still carried in his arms. She feared the little Kokiri would see the body, wonder what it was, but they seemed to still be in bed. He went straight to his house, climbing the ladder with little difficulty. By the time Zelda was on his landing, he'd laid the body on his bed, still and quiet. He stood facing it, shaking and wobbling.

Just the position in which he stood, uncertain, wary, and weak, made Zelda's heart cry, cry for the pain he was in. She couldn't hold herself back any more.

She ran forward to him, her arms wrapping around him from behind. Her cheek against his back, she held him tightly and tried to steal away his pain. She held him so tightly, she hoped he wouldn't hurt. She wished she could take the pain away.

He did nothing but stare at the corpse, not even acknowledging Zelda's presence. She couldn't stop his shaking.

She stood there for a very long time, almost finding troubled peace in the embrace. She was so surprised when his hoarse voice spoke shakily, quietly, nearly noiselessly, rumbling through his body, "I…always thought we would spend forever…together…but I guess we can't…"

"Oh…Link," she said. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry! Oh, Link…"

His body contracted under her arms, falling to sit weakly on the floor, eye level with the body. She fell behind him, and then let go. She moved where he could see her.

"Link…let us go back to the castle…come on…"

She stood and pulled his arm, but he wouldn't move.

"I want to stay here…" he said, unable to tear his eyes away from the figure of his love.

"Link, I must, must implore. Please…you don't need to be here…"

"I want to be alone."

"Won't you come with me?" Zelda begged, wishing to take him away from the death before him.

"_No_."

Zelda stepped back hesitantly. His answer was so deliberate that she begged no more.

"I'll come back…soon…"

She was gone.

When she reappeared, she was in front of the castle. Everything was in disarray around her, but she didn't notice. The guards watched her as she rushed past, bowing unlike they'd done in a while to ask for her forgiveness. She ignored them completely and kept running.

Where would he be? She had no idea, but her first instinct was to run to their room. It was still early morning, so he might be sleeping.

She threw open the door and moved over to their bedroom, where Luke sat, barely awake but dressed, wondering who it was.

"Zelda!" he called, in his normal voice. She broke down, diving into his open arms on the bed. "Zelda… my love…I'm so sorry…" he told her in his familiar and comforting voice.

"Oh, Luke! She's gone! She's gone!" Zelda cried, sobbing uncontrollably into his chest.

"Who's gone?" he asked in a solid, worried tone. "What happened?"

"He...he _killed_ her!" she wailed, her voice cracking.

"Meghan? Link? Who killed who?" he asked, not wanting believe his own assumptions.

"G-Ganon…killed…Meghan!" Her violent wailing resounded against his body as the color drained from his face.

"…Meghan?" he asked quietly, not believing it. Meghan? Their Meghan? The one like a little sister to him?

His hands stroked her hair as he tilted his head back, wondering if that could even be possible. Meghan? No…

"Luke…I missed you so much…and then this! Why, _why_ must he be so terrible?"

"Is he dead?"

"Yes, but he took her _with_ him! Link killed him. He killed him. But he…got to her first! Oh Luke, I couldn't save her! Luke, I couldn't! I tried, I wanted to! But she was already gone!"

"Zelda…there is nothing you could do to save her…if she was…already…"

She shook her head against him. "He's broken, Luke…"

"Link?" He couldn't even imagine it. Here he was, in disbelief. How must Link have been handling it? "Was he…there?"

"She…died…in his arms."

"Link…" he said, not knowing what to think. He knew Link loved Meghan. Link had told him, and Luke could see it. Luke was the first person Link asked about how to ask her to marry him. He had been ready to do it, just before Ganon took over everything…

Luke got angry. How could he have let this happen? How could he have let himself be controlled? He couldn't stop himself. He could remember every decision he made, as if he was in that mind set.

He lay back, pulling her with him. She curled into a tiny ball as his arms protectively held her. She cried into the sheets of the bed, leaving spots of wet until she could no more. With an aching head and a tired heart, she fell asleep, Luke left in incredulity. Her dreams offered no comfort either.


	18. When We Fly

**Chapter XI Part II - When We Fly ("Question!" - System of a Down)**

* * *

The ground turned from hard, cold stone to a soft, warm cushion. It was such a fleeting and familiar feeling. The pain went away and she could no longer feel Link's arms around her. She subsided into a curled up position on her side, her face touching the softness of a pillow.

Her fingers traced the ground, and then her eyes opened. She faced darkness, but there was a light coming from another direction. She looked up to find the light.

The light told her it was 3:34 am.

She wasn't sure why it was telling her that, or what those symbols even meant. She felt confused, like there was something she could be doing but wasn't.

She stood, finding before her a blurred image. The darkness wouldn't let her see details, but she figured out it was herself she was looking at when it moved along with her.

A mirror?

And a bed.

She fell into the bed, which was soft and smelled clean. The confusion died away as she drifted somewhere else.

* * *

It was still early in the morning when Zelda and Luke traveled across the field to the Kokiri Forest. Luke had never been inside, but he cast aside all his inhibitions for Link.

The Kokiri children were all inside. Zelda and Luke found Link lying on the floor of his house, facing the wall. He barely even responded when he noticed the two walk in. Zelda refused to look in the direction of the bed, and Luke shut his eyes tight when he noticed what it was that Zelda wouldn't look at.

"Link…" Luke said, kneeling down to Link. "How are you?"

Link sat up, but he didn't know what to say.

"Come on, let's go somewhere else. Let's talk."

"No." Link said, his voice scratchy and rough.

"Link, you really need to leave this place."

"I can't."

"Please come, Link," Zelda interjected. Luke turned and gave her an expression telling her that he would handle it.

"You…can't stay here forever."

Navi was on the floor next to him. She stood slowly, glancing up at Luke and Zelda, then floated up and put her hands on his face and shook him.

"Linky…hey…" she said quietly. "Listen to them."

Link was silent.

"Link, we have to…move her. _She_ can't stay here forever, even if you're going to. We'll…get a—"

"I am not going to leave her alone!" he cried. "And I am _not_ letting anyone put her in a hole in the ground!" The two boys stood, Link's threatening tone backing Luke to the doorway, Zelda moving out of the way.

"Where else then, Link? This is _morbid_."

Link turned around and sat on the floor again, head in hands. Luke sighed quietly and put his hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Link. About everything," Luke said before he turned and left, nodding to Zelda. Luke couldn't take this.

"Link…"

"Leave me _alone_, Zelda."

Zelda tried to think of what to say, but everything came out in a rush of exasperated air.

She was starting to feel it…those feelings he had. She was starting to feel a crack in her soul…

"You know where I'll be if you need me," she said. Navi was on his shoulder again, and she mournfully nodded to Zelda for Link. As soon as she was gone, he slumped to the side against the wall.

_They won't put you in the ground, I promise._

* * *

She woke again on a pillow, but this time it didn't feel so foreign. When she opened her eyes, it was light.

There was banging at the door, someone trying to open the door. It was locked. The familiar voice called to her, hurried her, told her it was time to go to school. Time to get up, or she'd miss her bus.

She was in her room, her own organized mess. Just like it had been over a year ago. Why was it all still the same? Shouldn't it have changed? Her mother should have cleaned for her. Her mother would have.

What had she been thinking last night? Was this heaven? The Sacred Realm? There was no way that could be. Of all places to have as a heaven, she wouldn't want this place.

She sat up, looking around. It was so confusing.

Still more banging, but she couldn't figure out why everything was so urgent. She stood up, looking in the mirror.

Her body was back to how it had been such a long time ago, not even her leaner human form. This was a chubbier form, something that made her feel giant suddenly compared to how she had been last night. How had she gotten so _huge_? The thought depressed her.

"Meghan!" yelled the person she finally named. Her mother! "The bus is going to be here in two minutes! Hurry up!"

Mechanically, she threw herself into a routine of getting ready for school. Fresh clothes from her closet, a brush through her hair.

"Meghan! The bus just passed by the house! You missed it! Open the door!"

Meghan opened her bedroom door to go into the bathroom.

"Now I have to drive you."

Drive? Oh yeah…

She washed her face and put on makeup, her slow pace frustrating her mother. Meghan had the feeling that nothing could mask this ugly form. She stared at her face, flawed and botched. Not enough makeup…not enough in the world.

"You need to start going to bed earlier, and waking up earlier! You can't be missing the bus."

Her words were like a blur to Meghan. They didn't mean anything. She got her book bag and lunch from the fridge, and then followed her mom into the silver Honda to go to school.

The ten-minute drive was strange. She felt like she hadn't been in a car for forever. She felt a little nauseous, even. Why was that?

What was up with that dream last night? A very, very vivid dream. Full of adventure and love and…

Wait…was it a dream? It was, right? There was no way that stuff could have happened. There was no way such a beautiful creature could love her…there was no way that she could be so mean to him, either. The idea that it was just a dream brought tears to her eyes. So beautiful! She'd always wished she could record her dreams. They were like movies. She'd make a profit off of them.

She got out of the car at the school's entrance, just making it to her locker before the first bell rang. She went to band. She had her flute, but she didn't pay attention. She was remembering the details of the dream she'd had. She closed her eyes as she remembered touching him, kissing him…

And suddenly it felt so real, as though she could feel his lips on her own right then. Even though they never had touched hers, they felt so real. She couldn't get over that fact. How could her mind create something to beautiful? It wasn't as though she really knew what it felt like. She'd never been kissed…

* * *

"Link?"

Saria's voice broke through the silence. He had again grown weak. His form was slumped on the floor, his thoughts reeling so much he could barely think straight.

The voice cheered him…slightly. It was comforting. He knew there'd be something to say. But he didn't want to hear her voice. There was another voice he wanted to hear.

"Link, let's go for a walk. All right?"

He didn't respond. She sighed. She didn't want to go inside the house. The body was only a few feet away. It made her unbearably nauseous and tears welled up in her eyes. But no one could tear him away from the house, or away from the body, more specifically. She had to try. What good was it for him? Not only his physical health, but also it was horribly disgusting and vulgar.

She took a step, swallowing as tear after tear refused to listen to her and fell down her small face. She kneeled before him, where she could see him and he could see her.

"Link, please," she begged, her voice cracking. "This isn't good for you…you can't stay here forever…"

He didn't respond. She could hear his breathing in the silence as he stared straight ahead, his head against the hard wall.

"Link!" Saria cried, bursting into a sob. She leaned forward, leaning her head against his arm. He didn't move. "Please, please get away from here."

His clothes were still the bloodstained mess. What was _wrong_ with him? He was losing his mind completely.

"Have you eaten anything lately? At least have some water…" she said while more tears fell to the floor. "I don't want you to get sick…"

"He…won't do anything…" Navi said.

Nothing she said fazed him. It was as if he didn't even realize she was there.

All he noticed was a green blob in the corner of his eyes. They tickled his memories, which were playing over again in his head. Like a television in his eyes, his mind played the episodes of Meghan. Meghan laughing, Meghan moving, Meghan talking to him. Meghan singing to him. Meghan sleeping in the early morning's light, a radiant glow on her face. She woke up and smiled at him. He smiled back.

"What's…Link?" Saria asked, wondering why he was smiling. She didn't want to ask. He didn't move in any other way. The smile faded slowly, as though he forgot he was smiling.

"Link…" she sighed one last time, one last sob. Her tiny arms wrapped around him, hugging him tightly.

"Please…please, wake up."

* * *

She sang a few songs in chorus. What did they mean? They sounded like gibberish. Complete and utter _nonsense_. What a waste of time!

English class? A class to teach her about her first language? They were reading a book. But she just thought about the language she'd learned in the dream. She couldn't quite seem to focus. The boring book the class discussion couldn't hold a candle to the Hylian stories she'd read in her dream. So many books! How could her mind have imagined so many things in one night?

French class was hard to absorb. There were already two completely unrelated languages floating in her head. She couldn't remember which word was in which language. She was certain she wrote a few Hylian things on the quiz she took.

Or maybe it was all Hylian.

World War I? Please, the war that happened when Link was a baby was much more interesting. They had _goddesses_ involved. Goddesses…they talked to her! How funny! In the Garden of the Goddesses' Wish. _Puh-lease_, Hyrule's war was much more important than something that happened almost a hundred years ago here…

Oh no! Math? She couldn't remember formulas. She couldn't remember what things meant. And there was almost nothing in the dream that she could refer to, except the fact that that boy in her dream had _really_ liked math, he'd been very good at it. He'd probably be able to help her out here. Oh…she remembered the pretty face.

Oh, such a nice face. She smiled at the thought. That very same pretty face had touched her in the dream…his fingers on her cheek felt so real. When she closed her eyes, she could feel them there, just then. The feeling sent butterflies through her stomach. For that moment, all she knew was Link, standing before her. She loved him. She touched her own cheek, putting her fingers over his imaginary ones.

The bell rang then, stirring her, and the truth seeped back into her subconscious as she once again she fooled herself into thinking it was only a dream.

Chemistry! She remembered the lab, her friend Sheftali, and Sheftali's adorable children. As the teacher talked about reduction-oxidation reactions, Meghan daydreamed about seluric material and stuff. Fascinating how her mind could create a whole new species!

And as she was thinking about Hylians and their amazing bodies, she walked to her biology class, her last class of the day. She sat in her usual seat, in the back of the class behind her casual friends. To her left sat the weird kid she tried to avoid talking to. When he came in, he began to talk to her friend in front of her.

It was a harmless conversation at first, while the teacher took attendance, and Meghan barely heard it. She was doodling on her paper, thinking about the horses on Hyrule field and how she galloped all day…

But one thing in the boys' conversation popped out to her.

"It's amazing. The graphics have improved…"

"Yeah, and the controls are so tight, it feels like you're really wielding a sword."

Wasn't that in my dream?

Wasn't the world…

Something wasn't right in Meghan's head. How could it be so real? She was so confused. Her friend noticed her wide eyes and quick breathing.

"What's wrong, Meggie?" asked the beautiful girl with light brown hair who sat in front of her.

"Um…" was all Meghan could think to say. She closed her eyes.

What was it?

The dream felt so real, she knew it _wasn't_ a dream. But at the same time, her rational side was telling her it couldn't _possibly_ be real.

Her mind was whirlwind of ideas, and she could keep everything straight. She couldn't think a solid thought. She tried to remember everything that happened in the dream. It was hard to remember a year's worth of dream.

How could a dream have so much?

The class started and the girl stopped questioning her.

She started from the beginning. It took the whole class to remember everything significant. She jotted some things down. She was still absentmindedly remembering when she left school and got on the bus that afternoon, barely paying attention to people around her.

"Meggie!" Alicia said in greeting. Meghan turned her head suddenly to see one of her best friends.

"Hey."

"How was your day?" asked Alicia as she sat next to Meghan in the bus seat.

"Oh…OK."

"Tired?" Alicia laughed.

"…Yeah."

She remembered how the evil person had come back, just a few weeks ago. Evil Ganondorf. He'd taken over Luke's mind, and everyone else's too. It made her angry. Her eyes closed.


	19. No Room in This Hell,No Room in the Next

**Chapter XI Part III - No Room In This Hell, No Room In The Next ("Early Sunsets Over Monroeville" - My Chemical Romance)**

* * *

Zelda went back to Link. She couldn't stand to leave him there. Why wouldn't he come with her? Why couldn't he just _listen_ to her? She was feeling more of it from him now…that gripping sadness...

Link hadn't moved more than an inch. He looked pale and weak. Dark circles had formed under his eyes.

"Link, when was the last time you ate?" she asked quietly. He didn't respond, but she was the only person whose voice comforted him. His thoughts wouldn't meld together. They were flickers of Meghan, flickers of what he should be doing. Flickers of what Zelda said to him. He struggled to keep them together, to keep himself upright. He struggled to make it work. It was impossible.

Zelda's heart was aching. It hurt so much. As if she wasn't already ailing herself, she had all of Link's emotion in her as well. It was weighing her down. She could sense everything, every fleeting emotion. It was intense.

"Link…please, eat something, drink something…something, please, let me know you're alive," she begged. He wouldn't respond. She heard him breathe against the wall. She sat in front of him where he could see her. She put her hands on his face, and his eyes moved to look at her.

"Please, talk to me. Tell me how you feel. Link."

His fragile, crystal eyes stared back at hers, wobbling with misery.

"Link…we need to get through this. Please, you're going to die if you don't listen to me. Drink this, please."

She tried to hand him a cup of water, but he only stared at it. She sighed and set down beside him, tears springing to her eyes.

"Link." He didn't answer.

She was suddenly angry, tired of begging and tired of him being like this.

"_I don't want to lose you too_!" she cried, slapping him as hard as she could. Her voice was breaking. "If you're not going to drink anything, won't you at least try to sleep? You look awful! Please, for everyone's sake, at least _try_ to live!"

He didn't move. She cried out in agony, grabbing his shoulders and shaking them. She sat there for a few moments, crying. She watched him. He was responding to that. He had grown rigid and tight. His jaw was set, his breath quickening.

She crawled to the corner where there was a blanket. She put it behind him where he could use it as a pillow. She pushed him back with her hand on his chest. He fell back easily. She lay down beside him, tears falling from her eyes. She took his hand and rubbed it gently. She turned and noticed a tear fall down his face, his eyes closed. He fell asleep quickly.

* * *

She got off her bus at her house, deduced that no one was home yet, and went inside. She remembered how angry she'd gotten at Link, for no apparent reason. Why would she get so angry in a dream?

After removing her shoes, she went into her room and flopped back on the bed. She remembered the illusions that made her think her Link was attacking her. But he wasn't. And she loved him.

And then they were sitting beside the stream, and the shiny ring was before her eyes. And he told her that he loved her. He would always love her. She could feel the cold silver slide onto her finger.

But the evil came again. Stole her away from him. No! No, you can't.

And he was horrible. So horrible.

And then…

Oh no.

And then.

And then she was gone.

He killed her.

Suddenly, Meghan's world came crashing around her. She grabbed the frame of her door for support. She remembered everything. She was no longer in a cloudy haze. This wasn't a _dream_. It was all real. Just like she'd thought it was a dream, going to Hyrule. Coming back wasn't a dream either. She was dead. She had died, and that was why she was here. But why _here_? Was there such thing as heaven? What if this was it? What if this wasn't it? What if this was hell? It couldn't be…she'd never done anything wrong, had she? But this couldn't possibly be her heaven…Link wasn't here!

…Link.

"Link," she said, choking on her words as tears came to her eyes. "Where am I?"

* * *

When Zelda woke up, the glass of water was completely empty and Link wasn't next to her. He was on the other side of the room, next to his bed, lying at its feet. The sun was just poking from the windows. Zelda sat up quickly, realizing she'd been there for a long time. Luke probably wondered where she was.

Just as she was getting up, she heard a sound. Someone was going up the ladder. Luke appeared in the doorway a second later.

"Zelda!" he said quietly, noticing Link sleeping. "Have you been here all night?"

"Yes…sorry…but I couldn't leave him…"

"It's all right…I just didn't know that you'd decided to stay. I was looking for you."

He stared at Link's position.

"We need to…get her out of here…" he said quietly.

"He won't let us, yet…"

"I don't want her to stay there forever…We'll take her now. He's sleeping."

"Luke, he'll kill you..."

"Zelda…" he said in frustration. He turned away from her. Then suddenly he turned and punched the wall just outside the doorway. "Why does this have to be like this?"

"_Luke_!" Zelda whispered. "You'll wake the entire world! Please…calm down. I swear, he'll come to his senses…I…I think I'm breaking through to him."

"It's not him, it's _everything_! I can't even believe this…"

Link stirred at the other side of the room.

"Luke…" Zelda scolded, feeling bad. Link didn't get up, but he was awake. As soon as he was conscious, he remembered everything. He groaned, turning his head so his face was to the ground. His clenched fist hit the floor weakly as his body slowly moved into an agonized child's pose.

"No…no…no…" he cried into the floor, his voice hoarse and nearly unrecognizable. Zelda and Luke didn't know what to do.

"Link…" Zelda said. He didn't respond, again, even though this time, his thoughts weren't running away from him. He knew exactly where he was, who was there, what he was feeling, and who _wasn't_ there.

The two knelt at the floor next to him. His cries echoed through the house. _No, no, no_. Zelda hesitantly placed her hand on his back, rubbing it methodically. Link sat up then, and turned to look at the bed. He put his arms on the bed, shaking his head.

"She's…she's too young! This isn't real! This isn't real! It's a dream. She's here! No…I'll never see her again…I can't…I can't…not see her! I have to see her!"

"Link, don't! Link, stop it!" Zelda yelled, trying to pull his hand back. "Please, don't!"

"I have to see her, Zelda! She's still here, she's right there…" His body shook and convulsed.

"Link, she's _not there_!" Luke told him. "She's not there anymore. You have to let her go."

He shook his head again. He exploded in anger. "Are you just going to let her go? You're just going to forget her! What kind of people…what kind of _friends_ are you? I can…still..."

"Link, you can't save her!" Luke said, trying to get him to listen. "She's _gone_…"

Link turned, giving them a vicious stare. "Get out," Link told him, point-blank. "Now."

"Listen to me, Link."

"Get _out_." Link turned to Zelda. "Both of you. I don't need you here." He switched to hostility so easily that it scared Zelda.

"Link, dear…" She reached her hand toward him, but he scowled at her. Navi fluttered about his face, trying to calm him down. He ignored her.

The two stood up, Luke leaving readily and irately. Zelda hesitated. But they left without a word.

Outside his home, Luke turned to Zelda and said, "Zellie, leaving them there _isn't_ a good idea."

"He'll come to his senses, Luke," Zelda repeated as tears fell down her face.

"No, he won't! He has _completely_ lost it. Next time we go in, he'll be having _tea_ with her corpse!" His typical humor had somehow changed into dark, macabre humor.

"Luke! You don't have to _say_ things like that!" Zelda screamed, a sob coming from her mouth. Link's emotion cut through her soul like a knife. It crushed her lungs, churned her stomach. She felt all his anger and anguish, finally what she'd been anticipating for the past two days. "I'm going to talk to him."

She began walking back to Link's house.

"Fine, then I'll go to the graveyard, tell them to start digging," he called spitefully behind her._ His words stung himself the most._

Link was still leaning against the bed. He was fingering the sheets idly. He didn't turn when Zelda reentered.

"Zelda, I can't..." he started with a broken voice. Something glistened down his cheek.

Zelda took a deep breath, trying to find sanity in this place of hurt. "I miss her," Zelda said, completely off topic. "I miss her smile too, and her lovely voice, and her brightness…"

The tears flowed down her cheeks again.

"And how she always…always…"

Zelda embraced Link ferociously. He returned the embrace.

Then he cried.

_I can't let her go…_

* * *

Zelda had told her yesterday, but Sheftali was still in disbelief. How could she tell her children? She didn't know what to do. She never expected this. She blamed herself, even, because for some reason, the week before, she had been so inexplicably angry with Meghan.

"Dia, Devan, come here for a moment, please," Sheftali called to her two children who were playing in their bedroom. The two came smiling to her.

"What do you need, mommy?" Devan asked.

"Sit down next to me for a second, please?"

The two found their places at either side of their mother on their sofa. It was then when they noticed the tears stains on her face.

"Mommy, what's wrong?" Dia asked in her tiny voice, touching her mother's face with a miniscule, chubby finger.

"I have some very sad news to tell you." The two were instantly quiet, recognizing this as their mother's somber tone. Sheftali struggled with her words. "Meghan won't be coming to visit any longer…"

"Why not, mommy? Are you still angry?"

"No, Devan, that's not why at all. Meghan…passed away a few days ago."

"What does that mean, mommy?" Dia asked.

"It means she died, dummy," Devan said.

"But she was here a few days ago! She's not dead, Devan."

"That was a while ago, sweetie," Sheftali said as her tears drifted down her cheek. She pushed Dia's hair from her face. "Meghan won't be here anymore."

"Ever again?"

"No…" Sheftali choked.

"Where did she go?"

"Hopefully, she is with the goddesses. Let us pray to them," Sheftali told her children. They moved away from her lap, putting the palms of their hands together in their own laps.

"Goddesses Nayru, Farore, and Din," Sheftali spoke with a shaking voice. "Please…please guide our dear friend Meghan to where she will be eternally happy with your undying love. Please also relieve everyone's souls of the pain that comes with her passing, especially that of Link and Zelda."

"Please," said Dia.

"Yeah, please," Devan agreed.

"Thank you, my dears," Sheftali said, smiling tearfully at them, the lights of her life. "Now, it's time for bed. Go change into your nightclothes."

The two did, and once both were in their beds, Sheftali brushed Dia's hair and braided it, then tucked Dia in and kissed her on the forehead with a goodnight. She walked to Devan's bed, and just as she leaned down to kiss him, he whispered to her,

"Everything will be all right, mommy,"

She smiled and touched his cheek with her hand.

"Thank you, Devan. Good night, my love." She kissed him as well. She blew out the candle and closed the door so it was open just a crack.

She went to the living room to tidy up. She waited for her husband to come home, though not enthusiastically.

A half hour later, her husband came barging through the door loudly.

"I'm home!" he called gruffly. Sheftali squeezed her eyes shut, then turned to face him.

"Welcome home, dear," she said, cheerfully as she could.

With each step, he swaggered.

"Where are the kids?"

"Sleeping, please be hushed," she asked.

"Oh, right. Forgot."

He noisily took off his shoes.

"Are you hungry?" she asked as he passed through the kitchen.

"No. I'm going to bed."

"All right…"

Her drunken husband moved past the kids' door to their own bedroom, closing the door behind him.

She sighed, pulling her blanket from behind the couch and lying there.

* * *

Tomorrow. Tomorrow they agreed. They would have the funeral.

Zelda brought him back to the castle. He clutched the sheets of her bed and inhaled her scent, which he knew would eventually fade away, just as she had.

* * *

**This entire section of the story was inspired by all the depressing songs I love to listen to, lol. I believe (I don't remember sooo well cause this was a long time ago) that the reason why she died was inspired by a song that I wrote a million years ago (it's terrible srsly XD) and _apparently_ was originally supposed to be in the third story in the series? I dunno how I figured that out! But it didn't happen like that.**

**And this whole section of Link slowly going crazy was _absolutely_ inspired by the song "Early Sunsets Over Monroeville" by My Chemical Romance (it slowly gets crazy by the end, listen!). ****At the very end, Gerard sings "but does anyone notice there's a corpse in this bed" and that's exactly why Link goes insane and leaves her in his bed. Kinda morbid. O.o**


	20. We Buried the Music

**Chapter XII – We Buried the Music**

* * *

Tomorrow comes way too soon. Link and Zelda both stood looking at the bed, about to disturb the body's resting. Neither wanted to do it, but they had to. Link shook with apprehension. He didn't want this for her. Somehow, doing this would make it final. Then he wouldn't be able to live. If there was any chance of his own survival, this couldn't happen.

But it was happening.

Zelda squeezed his hand tightly. He stepped forward and put his hands on Meghan. He trembled. His hands moved away.

Zelda knew his hesitation. She stood in front of him.

"I'll do it, Link."

She waved her hands, and Meghan's body floated into the air. She touched Link, and the three were gone. They arrived in the graveyard a second later. Link closed his eyes then, seeing a fresh hole in the ground. He crouched to the ground, his head in his hands.

The new grave keeper met them.

"I'll take her from here," he said quietly. Link refused to look, or even stand to acknowledge the guy's appearance. Zelda looked away and nodded as she lowered the body onto the grave keeper's gurney.

"She'll be ready in about an hour," the grave keeper said, on the off chance that either of them were listening. Zelda nodded slowly and whispered a thank you. At the ground, Link shook his head. Zelda knelt next to him, her hands on his shoulder.

"This will be over soon…" she said. "Let us go."

* * *

Her dress was long and black and covered all of her body. On her hands, she wore short black gloves. She pulled her hair back and adorned the customary veil on her head, fastened by her golden tiara. She stared at her pale self in the mirror of her room. The black reminded her of Meghan. She had to look away.

Luke also wore all black. He handed her cloak to her as they walked to their door. Zelda took a deep breath as she adorned it. She looked at Luke.

"We can get through this," he told her.

* * *

**(Prelude Op. 28 No. 4 in E minor – Chopin)**

Link's black shirt and pants looked the darkest of all the darkness around them, perhaps because he'd never worn the colors before. His vibrant blond hair and insipid skin was a sharp contrast to the black, but his eyes seemed to match perfectly. Their friends stood around, cramped in the small and muddy graveyard.

In his hand, he clutched all of her necklaces, tight to himself. The ring especially burned his skin.

The chestnut-colored coffin had been lowered into the grave. Rauru stood to the left of it, and Link kneeled dangerously close to the hole.

Rauru asked the goddesses let Meghan live in happiness in the Sacred Realm. He lowered flowers from the Garden of the Goddesses' Wish on top of the coffin, deep purple and white flowers that symbolized relief of pain for those she left behind, and her soul moving on. When he had finished, Rauru asked if anyone would like to speak. No one wanted to, or maybe they couldn't find their voices. Link wouldn't move. They didn't want to offend him or upset him in any way, and because he was the closest to being her family, his opinion was the only one that really mattered. He was more contented with the silence.

The gravedigger stepped forward, his shovel in his hands. Rauru and everyone else stepped back to give him room, but Link didn't budge. He stared hollowly down. The gravedigger looked at Zelda, whose tears glistened behind her shadowy veil as she nodded, and he began to push the dirt back into the grave.

His body shook as he watched the dirt fall ungraciously onto her casket. It pattered and thumped, unnaturally. He closed his eyes, imagining something else there. _Not his love, not his love._

When he opened his eyes, the mound before him was apparent, and he began to shake again. He wanted to start digging it back up, to tear open the ruthless box she was in and save her from it, save her from everything. Somehow, he controlled himself. Someone touched his shoulder, causing him to flinch. It was Impa, offering her silent condolences. Impa nodded, then walked away. Behind her, there were more people, all waiting to give him their sympathies.

At any other funeral, this would be the parent, the husband, the sibling, _anyone_ else related to the girl in the grave, receiving condolences and words of wisdom. But there were none of those for her. He had to bear this position. There was no one else left of her. Everything about her would just disappear…as suddenly as she'd appeared in this world.

He couldn't take it.

He wouldn't move. He turned to face the onslaught of well-wishers, but never stood. Some knelt down by him to kiss him or embrace him, some just bent down. So many people and creatures he _didn't want to see_. So many people that reminded him of her so much. So many memories fogged his vision with each new being that tried to give him comfort.

He didn't know how long he endured it, but the next time he really looked around, there were fewer people there. Closest to him were Zelda and Luke.

He tried to stand. On his feet, he wobbled so violently that Zelda and Luke rushed to keep him from falling. He fell to one knee, his face toward the ground.

"I…can't do this."

"Link…" Zelda said, letting him go onto his knee. She'd never seen him so weak. Where had his strength gone?

"Come on, we'll do this together," Luke said, pulling him to his feet. Together, the three took a few steps toward everyone else.

They surrounded him. The wind howled slightly next to them. Beside him, Saria gripped Malon's hand tightly. They sniffed together, as Sheftali clung to her crying daughter who she desperately tried to comfort. Sheftali pulled the children away first, just as Devan's tough exterior started to falter.

People started to leave. Slowly, they peeled off until it was just Zelda, Luke, and Saria.

He couldn't stop staring at it, and if he hadn't seen the casket being covered by dirt, he wouldn't have believed she was there. She couldn't be.

"Link, let's go somewhere," Luke offered.

"No," Link said. He paused. "I want to be alone…here."

The other three looked at each other. They knew this was the recipe for disaster.

"Please," Link added, showing a shred of humanity.

All right, so maybe he wasn't going to dig. "We'll be at the castle. Please come, when you feel ready."

He nodded, but he had no intentions to do so. The word "_castle_" burned away a part of his heart. Zelda winced, feeling the sudden twang of pain coming directly from him.

They all hugged Link and walked away. Zelda paused near the exit, her hand to her heart. Link knew she'd stopped, but paid her no attention. She concentrated hard, trying to fill her own heart with as much love and comfort she could muster. She hoped he would feel it.

He did. She was certain she was the only person who could help him.

"Navi," he said quietly to the fairy on his shoulder.

"I don't want to leave you alone, Linky."

"Please, Navi."

She flew in front of his face, and he saw the tiny crystals on her face. "I'll come find you soon." He watched her fly over to Saria.

**("Serenata Immortale" - Immediate)**

He looked upon the grave. It seemed so dull, so bland. It seemed hardly fit for the one who lay beneath it.

He wondered how this could be, how any of it had happened. His dear friend, she was gone.

She was such a bubbly character, one who had always brought him joy. She had truly saved him from himself. But now she was ruining him. Even though it was only a few days ago that he'd been with her, she seemed like a bad dream. Or a good one. Which was it? He could not decide.

He couldn't look at it any longer. She was buried near the Royal Tomb, but nothing seemed fit for her. She needed more. _He_ needed more.

He walked out of Kakariko, slowly. He ran down the steps and ran into the field. He ran across it, to the wall in the middle. He saw it, remembered when he had taught her how to play the ocarina there, he gave her the necklace there…

…He first met her there…

He yelled in frustration, falling to his knees. He couldn't imagine never being able to see her again. It couldn't be possible. There was utter loss and utter emptiness inside of him.

He pounded the ground once with his fists; eyes squeezed shut. He stayed in that position, remembering.

He remembered when she first came. It was a cold night, and out of fear that she would get sick, he, along with Saria, offered shelter to her and helped her. She didn't trust him at first, and he really didn't blame her. Considering the danger at the time, he walked around armed with ten billion weapons. But she overcame her fears of him and they learned to like each other, and she proved to be a great help. She would never admit that she helped, but no one else could have done for him what she did.

But then _he_, the evil bastard who had caused them all so much pain, changed them. After a bloody supposed "last battle," she nearly lost her life. Still, she _lived_ and was fine after a bit of healing by Zelda.

But they still needed to return the Master Sword to its pedestal after Ganon's defeat. He remembered her sweet voice, on the last night they thought they'd ever have together, as she sang a song to him, the one she wrote. It haunted him. It echoed through his empty mind. Her essence ran through his body, rainbow colored shock of hurt resonating in his hollow soul.

_His_ disgusting whole goal had been to get revenge on Link and Zelda. Meghan had never been a threat to him, so she wasn't one of his targets. He felt such abhorrence for Ganon! It was _not_ right. It was _not_ the time. It was _never_ her time.

He moaned in frustration, he hand absently ripping the grass from its roots in the ground. Had he only been there a bit sooner, he could have saved her. Like the first time. He could remember that scene, just coming in through that maze…

She could have healed, as she did the last time. He remembered the foolish last words he had said to her, thinking she would be OK and live to talk to him again.

But truly, he knew, this was all his fault. He shouldn't have put the girl in danger in the first place. He should have known that even being with him would put her in danger. Of course he didn't know Ganon was coming back, but once he did, Link should have _hidden_ her somewhere safe. In reality, though he wished it had been true, she had _not_ been safest at his side. She would have been safest far, far away. But he was too stupid to see that.

And now he _hated_ himself for that. Hated himself _just_ as much as he hated Ganon.

She had laughed, and he told her to stop and save her breath, to relax. But she wrapped her arm around his neck, lifted her face to his so painfully, smiled, and whispered her last words,

"_**I love you…Link…thank you."**_

Died right there, in his arms. _These arms have held…too much…_

And he'd slaughtered Ganon so badly. So violently. He couldn't remember how he had dismantled Ganon that much. He just remembered waking to it. To death.

He stood, straight. He walked across the field. He had no idea where he was going, just walking.

He walked towards the Kokiri Forest. But it seemed everywhere he went, more memories resurfaced. Everywhere they had _made_ memories. The Kokiri Forest was very special. It was where she had made her promise. Their promise. It was like he'd set himself up to destroy himself.

They had promised never to fail each other. He remembered at that moment that promise, and yelled aloud, "Why? You…you broke your promise! I'll never forgive you! I'll never, _ever_ forgive you for that!" he yelled into the sky. His voice was hoarse and strangled. He stared up, and within seconds, felt raindrops fall on his face. Even the rain held faint allusions to her. He lowered his face and looked at the entrance to the Kokiri forest, while getting drenched all the while. "_You broke the promise. I can't believe you failed me_," he whispered. "Why would you do that to me!"

He tore away from the taunting memory of the forest, and ran…ran all the way back to Kakariko. By the time he got there, he was dripping wet. He didn't want to stop the rain, though. It felt fit for his mood.

But then something changed his mind.

He remembered her body, only _seventeen_, in that grave. She was the age he had been when they had beaten Ganon the first time. _There was no reason for that to happen…_

Goddesses, why would you _do_ this? What is _wrong_ with you?

He ran to the graveyard again. His shoes sloshed in the mud. He hurriedly took the ocarina out and played the Song of Storms. But, he remembered. It was her favorite song. She had played it often, causing it to rain, then played it again, making it stop.

He smiled at the memory. But his smile faded.

He went and knelt in front of the grave. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it. Then he changed his mind again, and said,

"I just want you to know that I love you too," he whispered. "I wish you could hear me. Can you? Can you hear what I am saying?" But he would never be sure. The clouds in the sky moved away, and he could tell it was almost night time. "I…wish that you were still here." He paused. "I think you wish the same. Or maybe it's better where you are. Where are you? Are you…with the goddesses?" Wind picked up and blew his hair around. "Is that where?" The wind died down. "I hope you are in good care, wherever you are." He was talking at a full, speaking volume now. He felt like she was there.

"I want you to know…you broke our promise. I remember, and you surely remember the promise we made. And I'm angry for that." He stopped. "But I'll forgive you if you come back." He felt childish, saying such things.

He hoped that she would return; yet inside, he knew it could never happen. She was deep in the ground now, beyond saving. But still deeper, he thought there was a possibility. Maybe Zelda knew something…

No, if she did, she would have told him, definitely.

It all seemed so hopeless now. He and Zelda couldn't keep defying reality. He was sure they'd used up all their chances to do so.

Before leaving, he took one last glance at the epitaph, written on the tombstone.

"Meghan S. Black

April 29th, 202-May 23rd, 219

A caring friend and loving fiancée."

* * *

**("My Sweet Prince" – Placebo)**

Meghan walked slowly through the corridors of the school, her books held tight to her chest. The bell had rung a few minutes ago, and most people had cleared out of the hallways, except a few daring kids who waited to the last minute to get their classes, not caring if they get in troublefor being late.

She herself didn't care. She couldn't see a reason in it. She phased out of her life on Earth and imagined herself walking in the field, the beautiful Hyrule Field, across to the lovely forest.

Then she realized she had closed her eyes, seeing the field before her as she daydreamed. She quickly opened them and found herself about to collide with a locker. She stopped. Then the bell rang again.

Ding…

The first chime sounded distant.

Ding…

She became conscious to its sounding.

Ding…

Tears flung to her eyes.

Ding…

The final bell rang, releasing a huge sob. She leaned against the locker, crying. She didn't care if anybody saw her, in fact, she subconsciously wanted someone to come and comfort her. She wanted them to feel sorry for her, but she knew they would never believe her. It wasn't the fact that she was engaged to a pointy-eared hero chosen by goddesses that people wouldn't believe, (not that that was even believable) but it was the fact that she had _died_. Who would believe she had died? She couldn't. And she couldn't tell even her friends…

"Meggie?" asked the familiar voice. Mistaking familiar feminine voice for familiar feminine voice, she looked hopefully up.

All she saw was her friend Alicia, walking toward her. With a distraught sob, more tears dripped down her face as she tried to control herself in front of Alicia, but it didn't work.

"Meghan, what are you doing here?"

"I don't know!" she said between sobs.

"Meghan, something's wrong." She looked around to see if anyone was coming. "Come on, we have to talk later. Where are you going?"

"Bio."

"Do you want me to walk you?"

"Don't you have class?"

"No, I'm just on attendance duty," she said, producing the envelope that she put the collected attendance sheets in.

"No, I'll be fine. Thanks..."

"What is it?" Alicia asked with a questioning look.

"I'll tell you later." Meghan brushed herself off and fixed her messy, uncombed hair. "Thank you."

"Any time," Alicia said as she watched Meghan walk off to her class.

_I might never have gotten to my class…not that it matters if I do or don't. This isn't worth it. But thanks, Licia._

Meghan was still unused to her old body, the bulky one that bled. She felt weak and clumsy. Her hair felt like hay. Her ears were so short, every time she involuntarily pushed her hair behind her ear, she missed the ear. She'd only been a Hylian a year, but she found that she'd liked it much better…

She walked into the classroom, muttering to her teacher as she went to her seat that she had to go to her locker and was late because it was far away. She had once been a teacher's pet, so her teacher nodded, looked at her tear-stained face with questioning, then started the day's lesson. More genetics.

Meghan's head found the desk promptly, her hand not writing the notes, but doodling on the cover of her binder. They formed abstract lines, which she connected into Hylian characters, ones that said, "_I miss you_."

She tried not to cry during the class, so she pulled her head up and attempted to pay attention to what was going on. She sat in the back row of desks. They were doing a test cross of something…but she couldn't remember at the moment what she was supposed to do. She observed the board for a few minutes, trying to remember what she should be doing. Eventually she forgot all together, but then her teacher asked if someone had the answer.

"Meghan? Will you give the answer?" She guessed nobody had volunteered around her.

"Um…" She stared hard at the question. "I…um…no, I don't understand."

"Meghan, you understand, you've done this a million times." Her teacher looked at her strangely, half worried, half suspicious.

"I'm sorry…" she said, choking on her words. Genetics! It had been her favorite thing before. But she had a new favorite thing…one ridiculously _impossible_ truth that drove her mad. All she wanted was _him_.

"OK…anybody else?" Finally one other kid raised his hand recited back a perfect answer, but Meghan only knew that because the teacher didn't correct him on anything. She handed worksheets down the row with a few genetics problems, Chi Square tests, on them. Meghan received the paper, staring blankly at it, just as she had done to the problem on the board. She read the first sentence over and over again, but finally, after a minute or two, she gave up.

Why did anything matter? She had no one to share this school experience with, no one to care when she received a high school diploma, no one to celebrate with when she went to college and received some fancy degree. What was the point if no one cared? No one that mattered, anyway.

She put the paper on the desk and stared at nothing, drawing little triangles at the top in a formation of three. She thought about Link. What was he doing now? What had even happened? She couldn't grasp it, the death, the fight, the everything, and now, of all things, she was here.

Was this hell? Of all places, she loved her old home, but not as much as her new one. But she figured hell must be personalized, people suffer for different reasons. Without Link, this was beyond hell. She just wanted to not exist. Or she wanted to go back.

* * *

**("Like You" – Evanescence)**

She laid on top of the grave, underneath her a body. Under the ground, only a few feet away. Her cloak spread out over her

Link was suffering, and there was nothing she could do about it. The Triforce glowed feebly in her soul. Already, power was gone. She felt that hole, like she would forever. But his courage was nothing more than a murmur to her. It was a murmur that whispered frantic words to her.

She'd tried to find something she could do for him, and to thus end the pain in her own heart. She'd thought about everything.

No magic, nothing could raise the dead. Nothing could turn them back to themselves, anyway. She could animate the corpse, of course, but nobody wants a half dead cadaver running around with no soul. What would even be the point of that?

As she shifted, the mud slopped beneath her. She didn't care that she was getting dirty, or that it'd started drizzling around her again. She wasn't even sorry that she'd completely turned all her responsibilities on Luke, doing nothing herself since she'd returned. She was utterly useless, and she knew it. She couldn't even bring herself to try, though she wanted to. She was an epigone of a queen. An imitation ruler.

The pain of losing such a friend was horrible. She couldn't stop thinking about it. She would never hear Meghan's laugh again, never share a meal with her, and never hear her voice sing like a goddess soaring over the clouds. But the worst part was that Link's utter lack of interest to go on living burned inside her. It was as tangible in the air as a pungent smell. It was worse than the sadness, because regardless of being miserable, at least then she didn't feel his undying urge to kill himself. This was going to kill the both of them. Link and Meghan came in a pair.

She longed for time to pass. She wanted these feelings to disappear. She couldn't live like this. She felt just the same as the cold body beneath her.

Now the rain was pouring down more than before. Even her thick cloak couldn't completely protect her. It soaked her face, and although she felt quite unable to cry, she got the same sensation.

* * *

**("Even in Death" – Evanescence)**

The same song blasted in her ears. Over and over, nothing else. She was curled in her ball on the floor beside her bed. It was hard for her to breathe. She couldn't understand anything. She couldn't think of anything else. Nothing could distract her.

She didn't know if she could die again, here, but she _certainly_ wanted to try.

She felt a vibration in the floor, but she thought nothing of it. Her eyes were closed, and the only thing she could really hear was the music.

Then she felt something touch her leg. She knew what it was, but she didn't close her eyes or turn off the music. All she wanted was to be left alone…

Then someone lifted the earbud out of her ear, and her mom said, "It's time to eat."

"I'm not hungry," she managed to say, with certain vehemence.

"Come down anyway," she said lightly, not noticing anything unusual at first.

"_No_."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"What's wrong?" she was asked again.

"Nothing!"

All she wanted was to be alone…

"Do you want to talk to me?"

"No! I don't want to talk to you."

"Just come downstairs."

She didn't respond, move, or open her eyes. The song still blasted in her other ear. She only paid attention to that. When she realized her mother was still talking, she sat up suddenly and yelled, "Leave me alone!"

Her mother looked taken aback, then stood and left. Meghan fell back to the floor, struggling to catch her breath again, her lungs burning as they yearned for air.

* * *

Everywhere, everywhere, everywhere. He couldn't go anywhere, nowhere. She was everywhere, yet nowhere. It drove him mad. He wanted to die himself, to get away from these horrible feelings. They tore apart his body, nothing could heal it. She laughed and danced around him, and he couldn't do anything. His heart had fallen out, was trampled by a million horses, stabbed, thrown in a river, lit on fire, frozen, shattered.

Zelda stood a few feet away, just watching him. When Navi noticed her, she flew to Zelda.

"Zelda! He's…" Navi started, a worried look on her face. The fairy was sad, depressed, but it was her duty to guard the boy. _She was his guardian fairy_. At the moment, though, she could do nothing for him, a giant Hylian that refused to move.

Zelda gasped. "What can we do?"

"Zelda, please, bring him a fairy! A healing fairy!"

"I will…oh, Navi! Perhaps a Great Fairy can help…"

"He won't budge…"

"I will bring him there."

"Zelda, listen, you have been tiring yourself out. Just find a little healing fairy for now. There is a fountain nearby! Tell them Navi sent you! They will follow you, then."

Zelda nodded, her brow furrowed, and ran off to find the fountain.

Once inside, she looked upon the carefree fairies playing, flitting around. She walked slowly to them, and when near, she spread her arms.

"Dear fairies, please listen to me! My dear friend…he is weak. Would you please follow me, would you please lend your healing powers? You do what I cannot. Navi of the fairies and I beg you to follow me."

They all flitted about her, chattering in their bell-like voices.

"Navi! Navi the fairy? She's Link's fairy! Yes! Link is the boy that the Great Fairy says is very good!"

"Yes, it is Link! He is in great need of your help! Please, heal him!"

"Oh! Link! Yes, Link! We'll heal him! Yes! We'll come!"

"Thank you, my frie—"

Then something appeared before Zelda, and she staggered back, surprised. Before her was the Great Fairy, eyeing her with a shocked expression.

"What has befallen our great hero, Princess Zelda?" the beautiful fairy asked, floating before Zelda, her face close. She looked truly worried.

Zelda looked at her, willing herself to speak. She clutched her fist to her heart, turning her head away from the fairy's intense stare. She supposed the fairies did not know…

"Princess?" The fairy asked, hovering close to a standing position before Zelda.

"She…she…"

"The girl? The…formerly human girl? The hero's girl?"

Zelda nodded, still not facing the fairy. The fairy reached her delicate, glowing hand out to touch Zelda's cheek. Zelda felt instant warmth, an instant relief. She turned back to the fairy. She still stared at Zelda with wide eyes, able to deduce the situation by merely looking into Zelda's weary eyes. She felt Link's feelings through Zelda.

"Where is he?" she asked urgently in her soul-piercing voice.

"The forest…"

The Great Fairy finally took her hand from Zelda's cheek, turning to the little fairies around her. "Quickly, my darlings! Follow this girl; you must keep watch over the hero! This is your job."

"Yes, mistress! Yes!" they squeaked, flying all around Zelda.

"Zelda, Queen of Hyrule, I regret that I cannot aid him myself. This fountain is the only thing that holds me to this part of the world. I assure you, however, that my healing fairies can take care of him quite well!"

"Oh, thank you, Great Fairy!" Zelda cried, tears running down her face.

"Dear Zelda, please, try to take care of yourself! Let me relieve you!" The Great Fairy raised her hands above Zelda, moving back a bit. There was a glow of lights around her.

Zelda closed her eyes, raising her face to the sky for a moment, relishing in this pure relief. She felt normal for a few seconds, and never wanted it to end. The tears dried from her face and her stomach wasn't constantly churning. When the Great Fairy ceased her healing, Zelda felt a bit stronger. Just enough strength to move on. To save him…

Their savior.

Zelda walked, surrounded by her tiny friends, straight back to the lost part of the woods where the hero of the world wished his own end.

He saw her grow closer, surrounded by glowing lights, and he knew. But he didn't want this.

"Please," she said to the fairies. They flew forward to him…

He forced himself up. It was the last thing he wanted to do, but if they accomplished their goal, it would prove to be even worse.

"Get out of here," he snarled, waving his hand dangerously close to the approaching fairies, as though to swat them from the air. They stopped short. Zelda gasped.

"Link! What are you doing?" Navi cried, flying up to her pink fairy buddies, holding her arms out to protect them.

"Why…did he do that?" a healing fairy asked quietly.

"I don't want this!" he said in his hoarse voice again, on his knees, attempting to stand. He couldn't even do that. Navi rushed to him.

"Quickly! Help him!" Navi said to the other fairies.

They backed up.

"He's scary…yeah, he's scary…I don't want to help him…"

"Please!" Navi cried, flying back to them. "He won't hurt you, he's suffering! Please, help him!"

"Please, the Great Fairy asks this of you…" Zelda said feebly, her heart sinking as she watched the scene.

"No! Just leave! Can't you see? I don't want…I don't want to live like this." He breathed heavily, turning on them with scornful, dark eyes.

"Link! Let us help you!" Zelda cried, going closer to him, trying to herd at least one fairy to him.

He stood then, flashing that menacing glare at her again.

"Let me die."

The fairies were gone. They raced off, frightened. He stood for a moment more before collapsing to the floor.

"Link!"

* * *

She dragged herself to the bus. Its unusual loudness was foreign. She was sure she'd get sick if she got on.

"Meghan!" she heard behind her, and she turned slowly to see Alicia. "We have to talk." She walked as to get on the bus, but when Meghan hesitated, she looked back. "Come on," she said, knowing Meghan wasn't about to get on without coaxing, for whatever reason.

She hesitantly walked up the steps and found her seat next to Alicia. They were away from most of the people, so Meghan could tell her what needed to be told.

"So please, please talk to me."

"You'll…you'll never believe me. Never in a million years."

"Why? I'm sure I will. Please, you need to tell me why you're suddenly acting like this. One day you're normal, and the next you're like death has, like, been following you everywhere."

"It has. It did. Death was inside me."

"Inside you?" She grimaced in worry. "Meghan, did anybody…you know…"

"No," she cried, tear slipping out of her eyes, realizing her stupid and unnecessary dramatic wording. "Nobody did anything like that."

"Then what is it? Are you going to keep me guessing?"

"Yes." She looked down.

"I don't think I can. Please, tell me?"

"I can't say it. My heart will fall out. I'll die." She imagined it falling out right there, still thumping, and lying at their feet, spewing red everywhere.

"Somebody must have done something."

"I died."

"I don't understand."

"Alicia, are you suffering? Is life like a living hell for you here?"

"No! Is, uh, that how you feel?"

"So this is really Earth…or maybe…"

"Um, yeah. Meggie, you're making no sense." She thought of things, but they all seemed ridiculous. But then again, Meghan had said she wouldn't believe her.

"What if, one day…" she started quietly, "you go somewhere where you meet someone and you…follow them everywhere for months and then you die, and find out you're right where you started? And they're not with you anymore."

"I really…don't…know what you mean. If you die?"

"I'm dead. This is my hell. Where else would I go but the very place that is lacking in the _only_ thing that really matters?"

"Meg, you're not dead..." At that point, Alicia was struggling to understand, to make her feel better. She was convinced Meghan was making metaphors around something, but she had no idea what. "I've known you for years. But suddenly it seemed like you were lost yesterday."

"But I really died for real."

Alicia had no idea what to say.

"You didn't die. You've been right here forever."

"No I haven't. I was somewhere else, for a year…and...and…" _Not him…I can't think of him._

Alicia wanted to tell her again that'd she'd been here all along, but then she thought, again, of what Meghan had said, that she'd never believe her.

"Where were you?"

"…Um…" The name would be difficult to say. Alicia looked skeptical. "I really want to say it, but honestly I can't. Oh, see, I can even speak another language. I swear. This is really my hell…"

"What language?"

She tried to get her mouth to say the words, but they didn't. It came out as a bunch of airy noises. Perhaps, trying to say the "h" sound. "H…h…Hy…" She took a deep breath. _Just say it_. "Hylian," it came out, shaky and hard.

"_Hylian_?"

"Yes?"

"What is that?" Alicia asked, trying to understand.

"He…he's there! He's there and I died and he tried to save me but he couldn't and then suddenly, I was here and I hate it! I can't live without him, I'm dying. I can't breathe half the time and I can't, like, read anything…I can't see. I can't understand why this is happening, if I had to die, why am I in hell? Why can't I be in some numb blissful place? What did I do?"

And then it hit her, like a blow to the lungs, and she understood. She must be here…because the very person she needed the most, she'd taken for granted. She'd ignored him while she needed his help, and he had still loved her. He never left her, but she ignored him and made him feel like shit. And that was why she was in this hell without him.

The gods had told her…if she ever caused any trouble for the Hylians, she'd have to go back. She'd never digested that…but it made so much sense. She knew why she was there.

But where did that leave him? He'd done nothing wrong ever. He still loved her, and if she were dead, he'd surely be distraught. In fact, distraught doesn't even describe it. She hoped that life was better for him. Maybe he'd forgotten she ever existed, and he'd be safe from the evils of death…the thought of him hurting in that way, again because of her, grieved her to the point of tears.

"Meghan! What's wrong? Breathe! Talk to me!"

Meghan shook and sat up straight. She'd fallen against the window, trying to understand.

"I did this to myself," she stated.

Alicia was desperate to make sense of anything she'd told her. "Meghan, tell me the story from the beginning. Please."

"…um…" She was breathing heavily. She looked at Alicia. "This sounds so stupid. The gods put me there. They had a reason. And I met him. And we saved it, he saved it from that evil thing. And he…he…_loved_ me." Her hand went to her neck, where the pendant and the ring should have hung, should have been easy to show her the promises they'd made to each other with. But nothing was there. "I'd never felt so…so…needed and wanted…and then once we'd saved everyone from _that evil man_, we were happy until it came back, and we had to go kill it again. But it killed me first. And somehow…somehow I got back here."

Alicia was stunned. She'd expected unbelievable, but this was just not making sense. It made no sense whatsoever. It was made up.

"How could you have done that to yourself?"

"This is my hell. I took him for granted; I ignored him for a while. This is what I get for it."

"Meggie, I really don't understand…"

"Neither do I…" She sunk into the seat and didn't say any more. If she was going to die, why couldn't she just not exist?

* * *

**("Sleeping With Ghosts" – Placebo)**

No hole could be small enough to crawl into.

No ledge high enough to jump from.

No lake deep enough to drown in.

He wanted overkill, starvation, and suffocation, everything to drive him into nonexistence.

He lay deep in the forest, his head on the dirt-covered floor. He covered his ears. He didn't want to hear anything. He closed his eyes. He refused to see anything. It was growing harder to breathe. If he stopped thinking about his lungs, they wouldn't work any longer.

He _was_ suffocating. Nothing would ever be the same…She was gone. Gone. Gone. It was his fault. He was supposed to protect things. It was his destiny. He'd failed in it. He thought if he just held his breath…maybe he'd find her somewhere.

But no, he wanted overkill. It was his fault.

* * *

_Look at it…so sharp…it's right there, and all I have to do is pick it up. Quick enough. No one will even notice…no one cares enough anymore…_

She pulled the knife from the kitchen drawer and fearlessly wiped her finger along the blade. It was painful, but nothing, nothing was ever as painful as what had happened...

She heard footsteps coming down the stairs and hid it in the sink, turning the water on while pretending to wash her hands.

"What are you up to?" her mom asked conversationally, watching her hands rub methodically. She was worried about her daughter. She hadn't been acting normal lately, one bit.

She turned around and glared at her.

The mom's expression turned. "Please tell me!" she begged. "I know something's wrong, isn't there?"

"Oh my goddesses, nothing is wrong! You wouldn't even listen to me if I told you."

"Of course I would!" the mom said as she turned the water off and ran up the stairs. The mother looked on in distress. She had carried a knife with her…she had been acting very strange lately. Nothing had ever baffled her so much. She was scared for her daughter. She ran up the stairs after her…

Safe in her room, the girl lay on her bed and stared at the knife. Soon knocking sounded on the door.

"Please open the door for me!" Frantic.

She was ignored as the girl thought for a second, then cut herself on the face in the exact same spot the illusion had made a cut, and one on her arm where the illusion had made another cut. Anything to hold onto the memories…

Satisfied, she threw the knife across the room and waited for her mother to battle her way into the room.

"Dear mother, I would appreciate it if you stopped trying to talk to me. And just leave me."

* * *

"_Luke_," Zelda whispered. "He's dying."

Zelda was lying on her bed, curled into a tiny ball. She felt insignificant. It'd been six days since her death, but time was certainly not healing them. Luke sat on the edge of the bed, staring away from her. He'd tried everything, but nothing could comfort anyone. Not even himself. If he didn't have to stay strong for Zelda, for his _country_, then he would have broken down like the rest of them a long time ago.

"We've all died a bit…"

"No, he's _dying_. As in, he can't live anymore. Something's stopping his heart from beating, it's slowing. He won't eat anything. He hasn't in days. If he doesn't kill himself, he'll die anyway."

Luke didn't know what to say. What had he not said already? Link wouldn't even _speak_ with him. He was so distant, even Luke could not save him. And Luke knew this was not the way to repay their Hero, their savior. The kid had been dealt tough cards, but they couldn't make him happy. How had the goddesses decided this was fair to him?

"There's got to be something," he said feebly.

"Something to what?"

He turned to look at her. "Something, some power, you must have skipped over. Something that can bring her back."

"Luke, I can undo most things, but there is _nothing_. Nothing _ever_ to bring back the deceased. I would know, and I _don't_. There is nothing. Everyone knows that." Her words were like venom. He turned back to his staring.

"Are you dying because of him?" he asked. He knew of Link and Zelda's connection. It wasn't like the one he himself had to Zelda, though she did love Luke with everything in her. Her connection to Link was in her soul, where the Triforce manifested its power.

"No," she said curtly. "But it will hurt…when he dies, too." She sighed. "They come in a pair. They'll leave that way, too."

"I'm still here," he said half-heatedly.

"You're the only thing that is still here."

* * *

If nothing else, she felt lonely. It had been a long time since she'd had to sleep alone. She was used to a warm body beside her. Typically his heavy arm would gather her to himself, protecting and claiming her even in his sleep. It was a feeling that couldn't be replaced by anything, and she missed it…

It was late, but she loathed being alone more than anything. She couldn't even sleep. His image flashed into her mind. In trying to calm down to sleep, she'd let her guard down against the images, and now the picture wouldn't leave her head. As hard as it was to breathe before, now she felt like someone was really suffocating her, sitting on her lungs and crushing them down.

She had to sit up and tried and tried to keep it under control, but she was shuddering and suffering. She couldn't get herself to stop thinking about everything. She couldn't stay here. She couldn't escape herself. But where could she go?

The only place she'd known, _her whole life._

She got up out of bed, wobbly, tears in her eyes. She left her room, traveling down the hall to the last room. She opened the door quietly and was greeted by quiet snores.

She stood timidly, but she was desperate for relief from this. She was willing to try anything…

"Mommy," she choked out in a whisper. No one stirred.

"Daddy," she said, trying again. There was motion. She couldn't help herself. A sob escaped.

She heard a tired gasp from her mother and movement in the dark.

"Meghan! What's wrong? What happened?" her mother asked suddenly, in a very worried tone. Her words woke her father.

She was crying. She couldn't control it then. Every bit of her was dying inside. She just wanted to forget this…

"What's wrong?" he mother asked again, urgently.

She let out another cry, standing at the side of the bed. "Mommy, I'm…so sad."

They were silent for a second, then, "What's the matter?"

But she didn't answer. She just kept crying. In the dark. In her parents' room. About something that was so drastically larger than teenage girls crying in their parents' room in the middle of the night. She'd been placed in another world by feuding gods. She'd fallen in love with someone magical, someone who would never leave her. He saved the world. She died. She was back where she started. Still, she was reduced to this. The only comfort she could fathom was from mommy and daddy.

"Why are you so sad?" her father asked tiredly.

"I…just…" she said between sobs. She gave up. "Can I…lay here?"

"Here?" Her mother was confused, half asleep, but still wondering why her nearly sixteen year old daughter was crying in the middle of the night. "What's wrong?" she asked fervently, again.

"Mommy…" Meghan cried.

"Come on," her mother said. Meghan sniffed and crawled between her parents, wiping her tears over and over again. Her mother's arms went around her, comforting her.

"_I loved him…"_

That was all she said on the matter, crying until she fell asleep between two people she loved dearly…two people she'd missed to pieces until now, when she didn't even feel able to enjoy their company.

* * *

**("Before the Dawn" – Evanescence)**

_She was somewhere, but it was unclear exactly where. There was a huge building…and she jumped from it._

_Unharmed, she fell in his arms. They were doing something, saving something._

_Then they were in a room together, with human boys from her classes. They were throwing everything at Link, and he just laughed and dodged or caught everything. It never even fazed him that they were making fun of him, or that they were trying to harm him. _

_Meghan's heart swelled and she went to greet him, smiling. He held her and they danced around, but because he was holding her, he was getting hit by everything that was thrown. But he didn't care. They were laughing and smiling, dancing around in what should have been an embarrassing situation._

_She looked to her left, to a mirror, and saw what was right. It was her and Link, both in their true forms. Seeing herself was strange. She was human, but she looked much older. She looked her real age, just a different species. She was an intangible being, something she could feel but there was no label to. Link was perfect in his Hylian glory._

_They stood against each other, looking at themselves in the mirror. It was the way things should have been; peaceful, correct._

* * *

**("The Bitter End" – Placebo)**

He woke up from the beautiful dream, dazed. The grass tickled his face; the blades were long, thin and green. He imagined they were her fingers, reaching to touch his face with gentleness. For a moment, he was truly lost in imagination. She was lying beside him, like always. He reached out, touching her. He could almost feel her soft skin, the silky hair covering her back almost tangible.

He cursed the goddesses for doing this. How had he even deserved this? What did he ever do wrong?

More importantly, what did _she_ ever do wrong? Sure, she'd hated him for a few days, but that was nothing. It wasn't even her fault.

He was convinced then that the world was so unjust. The goddesses had forsaken him. They didn't care. They never had. They'd sent him to do their dirty work, when they could have used their own power all along to defeat Ganon. All his power was just borrowed from the goddesses, so why couldn't they have just done everything themselves?

He rose to his knees, his face drawn and weary. He tore the grass from the ground in anger. He cursed the goddesses over and over, in every way he knew. He hoped they'd heard. He hoped they were angry. He hoped they'd end him right there.

* * *

**The bit about the fairies was added in because I feel like this story really lost a lot of its Zelda-ness. I dunno, it didn't feel so magical. It's just magic amounts of angst...and maybe out of characterness...O.o**


	21. Time Itself

**Thank you so much to every who reads! I love hearing from you. :)**

**Chapter XIII - Time Itself ("Atlantic" - Keane)**

* * *

"Zelda? Zelda! Zellie, come on, where are you?"

She heard Luke's voice echo from the front of the library. She checked another book title, deemed the book worthless, and tossed it to the side, off the shelf. A pile of books, now creased and folded in unnatural ways, was forming around her. There had to be something. _Something_.

"Zelda!" he yelled, hearing her racket. Two more books flew. She was still wet from the rain.

He came around the corner formed by the bookshelves.

"Zelda, I've been looking everywhere for you! Where have you been? You have to stop disappearing! You have to stop this!"

She looked at him, her face red, then continued pushing books off the shelves.

"Zelda, stop that!" he yelled, grabbing her arms.

"Let go!" she cried feebly, pulling away.

"You can't continue this! You have to _move_ on! I know you're upset. We're all upset! There's nothing you can do about it! And you're only fueling Link's behavior!"

She was surprised by his attitude. He had officially exploded, and she was right about there, too.

"Well, excuse me for feeling like this! Excuse me for having the constant urge to…to _off_ myself! Excuse me for having a hole in my heart! I'm trying the best that I can, but _he's_ not making it any easier! I am _not_ fueling him; he is fueling me! And I do not need you to tell me how to feel! I will deal with this my own way! Just leave me alone! I do not even want to speak to you right now. I'm busy!"

Another book flew off the shelf.

He was silent for a few moments. She leaned forward, her head against the aged, dark wood. She took deep breaths.

"I'm sorry, Zelda," he said quietly. "I shouldn't have said those things. I'm just worried about you. I'm worried about Link, too. I'm worried about Hyrule. It needs you."

"I know," she whispered.

"I cannot do what you can, Zelda. You know this country backwards and forwards. I'm still learning. And you have to forgive me. I forget how much of his pain you truly feel. I imagine it's far worse than…empathy. I don't understand it, even though I try to. I shouldn't try to tell you how to feel."

She was silent.

"There has to be some way…" she murmured. The world just couldn't keep going downhill.

He stepped forward and put his arms around her waist. She was wet.

"Zelda, you can do everything else, but you can't turn back time. We just have to let it keep flowing. Eventually, time will heal everything." He paused. She was still. "Damn it, Zelda, I miss her…"

But she had stopped listening at "but you can't turn back time."

And it was like a rush of wind, a tornado in the library as she realized. She knew. She had to tell him. He could only last so much longer…and she felt that every moment she wasted was another moment he didn't have left. She dropped everything, pushed Luke away, and spent the last of her drained energy trying to find Link, lost within the Lost Woods. She finally noticed him in an inconspicuous corner, covered by tall grass. He'd truly turn into a stalfos at this rate!

"Link, you can still save her," she told him. He faced the other way, staring into the thick wall of trees. "You truly can save her. Our hero, our savior…Hero of Time, listen to me!"

He wouldn't respond, as though he hadn't even noticed her. She grew frantic. She breathed heavily.

"_**As long as you hold the Ocarina of Time and the Master Sword, you hold time itself in your hands**_..." she said strongly, so he could hear.

Something clicked in his slowing brain. Where _had_ he heard that before? Someone had told it to him, once long ago. It seemed like a dream, though. He moved, ever so slightly, letting Zelda know he had heard.

Then, he understood.

"But be warned, this course of action will create another split, another timeline that will still continue this way. Your conscious mind, however, will never know that dimension…"

Zelda walked away, certain he knew what to do now. He would know. She would be stuck in this time, stuck forever, but at least he could be saved…this time, for the first time, he could finally save himself.

He was the Hero of Time. Hence, he was time itself.

His weak, unfed body rose from the ground, turning and finding Zelda gone already. Where had he put the Master Sword? He swayed as he stood, trying to regain balance. He felt light headed and his vision blacked out for a few seconds when he stood. His mind worked mechanically as his thoughts gained hopes, hopes that he felt like he'd never had ever before.

Where was it? The Temple of Time? His body moved with reason now, unlike it had in what seemed like forever. He finally remembered, with Navi hovering around it, shouting his name, that the sword was only a few feet away. He'd had no use for it.

But now he did.

He fell to the floor to grab it, feeling the power of it in his hands once again.

He felt warmth overtake his body. He closed his eyes, raising his sword skyward, focusing on where he wanted to go. Where he needed to go.

* * *

The thoughts in her head swirled outside her body, attacking her, hurting her. She couldn't stand the thoughts anymore.

The thoughts that she'd never see him again, the thoughts that she'd be stuck here forever. The thoughts that she was crazy. That people actually lived through things like this. The thoughts that _she_ couldn't, even if she really tried.

Why was it so hard? She nearly cried out, refusing to let his face in again.

Knocking at the door, calling to her.

She wouldn't answer. Better make it quick…before they come in.

She held her breath as she imagined how to do it. She'd died already, so it shouldn't have been hard for her to recreate that.

They begged, they pleaded. _No. Don't come in. You won't want to._

On the floor…

Lights swirled around her, everything blurring and she was unsure. This was it…it gripped at her, pulling her this way and that, threatening to rip her to shreds. She remembered this feeling, something someone her age probably shouldn't be remembering for the second time around.

It was relief.

But she didn't remember hurting herself. In fact, she was fairly certain she hadn't moved an inch.

She was upright again, the shock making her nearly lose her balance. The world around her finally came into focus, slowly at first, like time was quickening, back up to speed.

Soe was in her hand, and she knew where she was, but _again_? Why?

This was a dream…

Ganon in front of her, with a contemptuous face and surprisingly good mood as he spoke to her.

"There they are!" he called in a frenzy, crazed, pacing from one side to another. "Now let them grow a bit closer, so they can see, then! Your dramatic death!"

_What was this?_

And then, everything was suddenly back to a normal speed.

She was suddenly awake; unlike she had been. She knew where she was, what to do, who she was, though she wasn't sure why. She stood as straight as she could, ignoring some twinge of pain in her shoulder.

"Ganon!" she screamed, back in her delicate and graceful form. She swung madly at the green-faced, disgusting thing before her. He swung at her, too, but she blocked his blows.

She heard crashes to her right; the maze of glass rippling as farther layers shattered and fell to the floor.

* * *

Zelda was beside him, a maze of glass before him. His sword was still in his hand, but he felt strong, not weak like he had been. His mind was clear, working, hurried. He wouldn't make a mistake like last time. He had another chance, this time…

The walls of glass came down violently before him, shattering into thousands of tiny pieces and clearing his way. Soon he could see her, and one more break and he could be with her.

As the last wall fell, her face was clear to him, like something out of a fairy tale. Painfully beautiful, she fought violently. His insides melted.

_He thought he'd never see that face again…_

He wasted no time rushing to her aid, Ganon almost surprised at his timely arrival.

Meghan stood back, breathing hard, just as Link and Ganon's swords clashed, Link's anger flaring. He was fierce and protective, beating Ganon into submission. He would not lose her again. Ganon could find no opening in Link's determined fighting. Sheik went to her, her hands on her to heal the wound in her shoulder, asking if she was all right. She still breathed heavily, watching Link with Ganon's death before him.

It was over in a moment, and Sheik sealed the body quickly, but neither Meghan nor Link paid any attention to her.

Both dropped their swords where they stood and ran to each other, tears already gathering in their eyes. Meghan grabbed Link so hard, embracing him so tightly she never wished to let go. Her hands gripped at his clothing, pulling herself into him, so tight she wished she was bonded with him for all eternity.

They both sat on the floor, so weak because they were finally together. Meghan was buried deeply into Link's chest, her haunting sobs echoing through the room. He kissed the top of her head and put his hand behind it, pulling her closer to himself, his own tears falling into her hair.

"Meghan…" he finally managed to say.

"Link…" she breathed.

"You're here," he said, smiling, disbelief making him delirious. He laughed.

"Yeah…I'm here…"


	22. Your Tears Already Said You Are The One

**Chapter XV - Your Tears Already Said, "You Are The One" ("You Are The One" - Shiny Toy Guns)**

* * *

The setting sun cast a golden glow over the green field of Hyrule and warmth onto their faces. Meghan and Link squeezed each other tighter at the sight of their beloved Hyrule and the peace that covered the field. Zelda smiled warmly at them.

"Go," they said, encouraging her to go to Luke. She finally nodded, and with a hopeful sigh, she was gone from their sight. Navi flit around, excited to be back in Hyrule. Link gave her a smile. She flew in to kiss his cheek, then Meghan's, and then zoomed off back to her friends in the forest.

The two walked with each other slowly, enjoying the beauty. Link stopped Meghan underneath a large tree. He kissed her lovingly, fiercely. She pulled herself closer to him as he kissed her more. She laughed when he picked her up, still kissing her. He sat on the floor with her safe in his arms and guided her back so she was lying on the grass. She found herself wanting more and more of him, wanting to be one with him. She couldn't get close enough to him, even though if she pulled him any closer, he would crush her. His lips were all over her, every exposed bit of skin. In between kisses, breathily he whispered, "I…love…you…"

"…I love you too," she responded, laughing and giggling.

His dexterous hand moved to the back of her neck and did something, but she wasn't sure what until he reached for the ring tucked safely just under her shirt. He pulled it off the chain and pushed himself over to her side. Lying beside her, he took her left hand, raised it gently to where they could both see, and placed the ring on its rightful finger.

"Now you can wear it," he told her. She smiled in delight, wiggling her body about with the spazzes of pure glee, then rolling over to kiss him once more. She found her way on top of him, and he put his arms around her and rolled to the side, so she was safely tucked against him. She used his arm to rest her head.

The sun had disappeared from the sky, and the few rays of light cast onto the land faded slowly as they lay in the stillness.

* * *

She swore she'd done this before. She didn't know where, but she felt like she'd already gone back to Luke, crying. Was that a dream she'd had? It seemed so real, the sense of déjà vu. She remembered opening the door to their room to find Luke.

She forgot about that when she laid her eyes on him, standing in the middle of the room. He was facing the other way, but when he heard the door open, he turned in surprise.

For a long second, they both stared at each other. Zelda could tell, now that she was near him, how he'd changed back to normal. He was unsure what to do. Would she forgive him? As much as he wanted to touch her then, just _touch_ her, he didn't know what she wanted, just for that moment.

But then next moment, she had collided with him, her arms wrapped around him.

"Zelda," he whispered, feeling her soft, blonde hair against his hands as he embraced her.

"Luke, I don't care. I love you. I just need you," she cried, knowing exactly what he would have said.

"I missed you, Zelda, even though I couldn't let you know. I missed you."

"Me too…I missed you so much!"

"Thank you, Zelda."

"For what?"

"For saving me. And everyone. It was terrible. I hurt you…and I couldn't stop myself. I'm so sorry. I tried so hard."

"Luke, I didn't do it. You know it was Link."

"He could never have done it without you."

"Luke, I cannot forgive you, for there is nothing to forgive you about. You do not need to apologize! I understand you could not change what you were doing. I am the one who is sorry. I could have saved you. I really could have."

"You cannot blame yourself for that. I'm back now, and that's all that matters. Are you all right, though? You didn't get hurt, did you?"

He held her back so he could look her over. She shook her head.

"I'm fine, really."

"And Link and Meghan?"

"They're well too. Both a little hurt, I'd expect, but I believe they're over that now."

"Over what?"

"Well…it was neither one's fault. It was Ganon the whole entire time. He brainwashed Meghan, just like you…but she only hated _Link_. It was awful, so much more tension than there should have been."

"She _hated_ him?"

"For days. It became slowly worse, for infantile reasons too. At first, I thought it was real, but we found out it was just as Ganon did to everyone here. Every time Link was close to her, she got better, but she was so angry that she was rarely near him."

"And now? It's better now?"

Zelda smiled at him.

"Engaged."

Luke smiled. "He did it? He asked her?" he asked, excited for his best friend. Zelda nodded. Luke laughed. "That's my boy." He only hoped Link forgave him too. He could still recall the searing pain in his jaw from when Link punched him. He supposed he had deserved it.

…But he didn't have to hit so hard!

* * *

It was late and dark when they could finally move. They were both tired, so their trek back to the castle was slow. Their hands swung as they took slow steps across the soft grass, each towing their horse along. At the castle, they removed their bags from the horses and put them in the royal stables for the night. Meghan smiled at her Galaxy. She'd missed him as well, back home. His intelligent eyes shone with moonlight as she kissed his soft nose.

The castle seemed too quiet, too empty at night. They hadn't been there in weeks, and it seemed longer to the two because of the lost time in between, the time neither were sure was real.

"Zelda doesn't remember it," Meghan said quietly as they walked down a hall. The entire trip back, it had become more and more apparent that Zelda had no idea that this was the second time they were trying those days. The first time, Meghan had been more or less…out of commission. Link vaguely remembered being at Sierace's house the first time around as well, yet she'd shown no recollection of the events either.

"Just as well that she doesn't," he told her, glancing in her direction. She looked at him too. He squeezed her hand, then pulled her in, his arm around her shoulder.

"Was it real?" she asked solemnly.

"I don't know. I don't know if I really have that ability. I don't know if I can really change time like that."

They stopped walking, the hall dark and lit by a single candle in the distance. The moon poured in from a window, splaying across Meghan's face, lighting her eyes on fire.

"But I can remember the pain. I remember…dying. I remember…not knowing what to think, unable to think straight. I couldn't get a grip on my thoughts—" Her heart stung with her words.

"No, stop, Meghan," he said, pointedly putting his hand on her shoulder. Her words also brought back the pain he felt, the horrible emptiness he never wanted to feel again. The longing that tore at him. His own inability to think straight. He shuddered at the very _thought_ of that feeling. He had to look away.

"—I could only remember that I love you," she finished, still talking despite his begging. He looked to her eyes, the moonlight reflecting off one of them, making it lighter than the other. "_I thought I was in hell_," she whispered, her expression blank.

"I think I would have much preferred hell," he responded. "Especially if you were there."

She shook her head, then started walking, pulling him along. Her bags felt bulky and heavy. They soon passed the kitchen, which was dark and seemed too civilized to be real. A second later, they were at Meghan's door.

She stared up at it, her face impassive. He couldn't tell if she was sad or happy.

The intricate carvings that embellished the door were like those from a dream. Even though she'd seen them a million times before, they seemed so new and beautiful.

"What's wrong?" he asked after she stood there for too long, longer than he'd expected.

"Nothing…it's just that I…thought I'd never see this again." She sighed. She'd been home for a whole week. She'd been with her parents. But she'd spent the time just writhing in agony. It brought a tinge of pain to her again, realizing she could have not wasted the time, she could have spent it with them. And now she wouldn't see them _again_. If only she had known…

But as with every other moment she'd been here in Hyrule, she pushed that particular pain deep into her mind, where it was only a shadow of a thought.

"Well, here it is."

"Yeah," she said, smiling. She turned to grin at him, and then opened the door.

The inside was perfect, still, just as they'd left it. Her piano stood grandly in the corner, smiling at her, wishing for her to make music. Her desk was innocent, a single quill lying perpendicular to the edge atop it.

Liam's empty water bowl was on the floor in its usual spot, seeming forlorn and forgotten. Meghan frowned when she saw it.

"Don't worry," Link said, noticing what she was staring at. "We'll get him early tomorrow morning, OK? He's having a lot of fun with the twins."

"Oh, yeah. That's OK. I just miss him."

They stepped into the room more, and Meghan collapsed on the couch from exhaustion, letting out a huge sigh. She felt like everything was finally over. She felt no more worry. The clock against the wall told her it was late. 2:30 in the morning late. Sleepy time late.

"Tired?"

"Of course," she said with a smile. "Looking forward to sleeping in an actual bed."

He laughed quietly. "Me too."

He stayed standing, peeling off things he didn't need. He'd had the Master Sword on his back. He took it off and leaned the terrible and glorious thing against her trivial coffee table. It was an oxymoron, the Sword of Evil's Bane against the…Table of Coffee. She watched his every move carefully, and he was aware that she was doing so.

He pulled off his gauntlets one at a time. She reached her hands out to receive them, and he handed them over. They were heavy, warm, and a bit sweaty. _These, which gave him so much strength…_

She inspected them curiously. But still, he was preternaturally strong even without them.

"I hope I'll never have to wear those again," he said gravely.

"Yeah," she said as she examined them. "Oh, I know," she said, standing slowly and bouncing over to her bathroom.

"What?" he asked, following her. She went to her bathroom, where the dressing room was tucked away. She went in there, then opened one of the drawers of the vanity and stuffed the gauntlets inside.

"Why?" he asked.

She wished she had a reason, but other than the fact that he kept his stuff in that room, she couldn't think of one. She just felt like putting them in that drawer. She spread her hands in a questioning manor.

"Because," she said simply.

And that was what he loved about her. He smiled with absolute, true humor.

She took a very quick bath, because she'd been rolling around in the grass all night. She walked back to her room to change into her pajamas. Her room smelled fresh, clean and inviting, and when she opened her wardrobe, she found her collection of clothing. She pulled out pajamas and changed into them, throwing her dirty clothes into the dirty clothesbasket inside her wardrobe. She went to open the door for Link, and then went to her bed to pull off the extra covers and pillows. She never thought she'd miss doing that.

Link walked in a minute later, yawning and closing the door behind him. His yawn infected Meghan, causing her to yawn and stretch her arms. He laughed in admiration, pulling her over into the bed. They lay facing each other for a moment before Meghan turned and snuggled herself up against his chest, his arm draping over her waist familiarly. She smiled.

She had started drifting off, half in the world and half in her dreams. She was surprised when she felt Link's voice vibrate in his chest as he said her name, "Megs."

Tiredly, she croaked, "Yeah?"

"I think I know why you went back to Earth," he said, his voice vacant of tire.

"Me too," she said.

"Isn't it because of the dream you had, when the goddesses and your god told you that you could stay, as long as you didn't cause trouble?"

"But I was causing trouble, and they didn't like it. I couldn't stay."

"So maybe none of that really did happen. That was just the Goddesses covering up you going back. But then they realized that Hyrule was suffering because you weren't there—"

"I'm sure Hyrule wasn't suffering because of me. It was just _you_ guys."

"No, Megs, it really was. Or it seemed like it. Well, I suppose…maybe I'm not sure. And it wasn't really me that brought you back. It was the Goddesses."

"No, Link, I don't think that's true. Maybe I only…died because of them, but I think you brought me back. Link, as much as we'd love to believe it wasn't real, I'm sure you did it. Or maybe it's another time zone, and I'm still dead and in hell."

"That is exactly what Zelda told me. In that time. And I…well, I wouldn't want to be me in that time."

"You saved me again," she whispered, taking his hand and squeezing it.

"You saved me too," he said, closing his eyes tight. "I couldn't take it by myself. I couldn't live—"

"Without you," they both said. Meghan let out a sharp exhalation, holding his arm tight and close to her.

"We're here now, and it's all over," she said. He kissed her head gently. "And it's sleepy time."

"I agree," he whispered. They both relaxed and made themselves comfortable against each other, Link feeling the steady rise of Meghan's chest as she breathed out her consciousness, his own negative sentiments evanescent as he fell away from the world.

* * *

**Thank you very much for your beautifully sweet reviews, BrokenArrow, Hayley, and HereComeTheDrums!**

**Ah, I really want to hug you all! X) And thank you to anyone who might be reading even if I didn't hear from you. :D**


	23. Chocolate Pudding

**Chapter XVI – Chocolate Pudding ("Existentialism on Prom Night" – Straylight Run, then "Karenai Hana" -I think it's by Mikuni Shimokawa)**

* * *

Waking up was like finding herself in another dream. There was no way this could be real. None of it was. This was her mind fantasizing. She was sick of all these dreams, not knowing what _was_ real anymore.

But the more awake she became, the more her surroundings were definitely real. A heavy arm over her back and, as she turned, a heavenly face, peacefully calm, facing her. The sun lit the room through the cream colored curtains, lightening the red accents through the room which seemed very cheery and bright. It warmed Meghan's heart. It had been long since she'd felt this reassuring calm, this clean and crisp beauty. She also felt like she hadn't slept so well in a long time. She felt like she'd slept like a rock, not stirring a bit. She smiled, blinking, and reached out to touch his flawless face. He, surprisingly, didn't stir at her touch. His breathing was still even as sleep.

She moved herself closer so that her face was merely centimeters from Link's. She carefully observed every feature of his face, studying how every pore of his skin contributed to his complexion. His lips were a pale pink, parted slightly to reveal the darkness inside his mouth. His eyebrows dipped drastically over his brow. His ears followed the direction of his eyebrows, following the severe and mischievous line that accented his countenance. She always loved staring at him in his sleep. He was perfect and peaceful, and she was rarely awake before him.

She tore herself away from his face to glance at the clock. She was partly surprised, yet partly not, at the time it said. 3:25. She laughed. Her sound didn't stir Link. He was always a light sleeper (well, according to Navi not _always_, just as an adult). Nevertheless, she had a feeling he was just very, very, very tired. He had, afterall, just saved the world again.

She rolled over to get out of bed, his arm landing outstretched from himself. She felt slightly achy from sleeping so long.

It took her a minute to remember that Liam wasn't there and she didn't have to get his food and change his water at that moment. She missed the big (no, _giant_) ball of fluff.

She moved the curtains from the door to the balcony aside so she could see out. The day was bright and cheery, the way it should be. The sun warmed the glass of the door. She let the curtains fall back into place so they could offer what little protection they could from the sun for Link, so he could get his sleep.

She looked at him again, then went to her closet to find what she'd wear that day. She pulled out a cheery, short sleeved, and lacey red shirt with beige pants. She was about to leave the room to get changed, but something stopped her. She leaned back against the wardrobe, observing just how asleep he looked, with her clothes draped over her arm.

Well…she was lazy. And he was asleep, right? And he wouldn't care, right? Oh no, no!

She walked over to her drawer to get something, then turned to see if he was still sleeping. He hadn't moved an inch. She walked back over to her wardrobe and turned her back to him, pulling off her pajama shirt. Just as she was slipping the bra on, she thought she heard a noise from behind. She turned her head to see. He had moved his arm closer to himself and turned to the side. His eyes were still closed and his breathing still rhythmic. She quickly slid her shirt on.

She hastily put on her pants and went over to her dresser to brush her hair. She pulled out her eyeliner and put it on lightly around her eyes, staring at herself in the mirror. _Back to this form…my body is like species musical chairs._

She heard him stir again and turned around to see. He had moved onto his back, his hands rubbing his face. She smiled, jumping next to him on the small space on the edge of the bed. It surprised him, and she put her arm around him to keep from falling off, resting her chin on his chest.

"Good morning," she said with a smile, staring intently at him with her large, brown eyes. He lifted his head to look at her.

"Good morning," he said sleepily, smiling as his head fell back to the pillow.

"Sleep well?" she asked.

"Very well," he said. "How long have you been up?"

"For forever, sleepyhead," she teased. He looked at her again, happy about how bright and cheery she looked. He hadn't seen her like this in a long time.

"I guess I should get up then. What time is it?" He tried to move, but she put her hand on his chest to stop him. She put her leg across his, then slid herself on top of him.

"It's about three-thirty," she said nonchalantly, staring intently into his eyes. "You don't need to get up."

He laughed. "But you're already dressed," he said teasingly.

"So?" she asked, kissing him quickly.

"So…I've been sleeping a long time."

"Again…so?"

"I don't know," he said, his grin turning mischievous to match hers. Suddenly his arms were around her and he had flipped them over, so then he was over her. The blanket was tangled between them. Meghan gasped in surprise. He kissed her slowly then flipped himself over off the bed.

"Hey!" she said, smiling and sitting up. "That wasn't fair."

He took a step away. "Come on, you can't just have me that easily. You have to try harder for me." He was smiling deviously.

She scowled. Did he really just say that?

She pushed the blanket off of herself and hopped out of the bed.

"What do you mean?" she asked, half playful and half really, really wondering what he could possibly mean. _Do I usually not try hard enough?_

He was at the door then, and he opened it. He turned back to look at her. "Catch me. If you can."

"Ugh! You!" She ran after him. He was already behind the sofa. She moved in front of the sofa, avoiding the coffee table and reached out for him. He moved to the side. She ran partway around the sofa, but he moved to the other side, smiling. She moved that way too, but he moved back. She moaned in protest, then jumped on the couch and was about to jump over when he caught her. He pulled her close to himself, her legs wrapped around his torso.

"I caught you!" she said triumphantly, trying to get a kiss.

"No, you didn't. _I_ caught _you_. You lose."

"_What_? Not fair! What was the point of that anyway? Do you not want me or something?" she pouted.

"No, I really do want you," he said, sitting her on the back of the sofa. "I was just teasing you."

"Oh, good."

"What did you think?" He leaned forward and kissed her again, playing with her hair. Her hands rested on his warm, bare chest, which was hard and ripped with muscle, but at the same time, his skin was so soft. She wanted to feel it forever, wanted to run her hands up and down it, put her mouth to it to feel it even better with her sensitive lips. He moved his lips away from hers, his hands on her face.

"But really, I have something I have to do now," he breathed. Their eyes were closed, their foreheads met, their breaths colliding between them. She didn't want him to move.

"What do you have to do?" she whispered, her lips so close to his that they brushed against them.

He moved his forward slightly to kiss her lightly, then whispered, "I have to find Luke and apologize."

Meghan moved her head back and opened her eyes. He opened his too.

"Why do you have to apologize?"

"I didn't mean to punch him. It was stupid of me."

"But he deserved it," she said in Link's defense.

"He didn't deserve it. Ganon did. It was still Luke." He moved back, still holding her, but not as close. He smiled. "I have to. You know that."

"Yeah," she said, defeated. He pulled her down off the couch and squeezed her hand before going to get dressed in the bathroom.

She went to sit at her piano, lifting the cover gently. She played a few notes, not sure what song to play. Some combination of notes reminded her of the song "Existentialism on Prom Night." It took her a little bit to figure out, but soon she was playing it.

"When the sun came up, we were sleeping in, sunk inside our blankets, sprawled across the bed and we were dreaming. There are moments when, when I know it and the world revolves around us. And we're keeping it, keeping it all going, this delicate balance, vulnerable, all knowing. Sing like you think no one's listening. You would kill for this, just a little bit, just a little bit, you would. Sing like you think no one's listening. You would kill for this, just a little bit, just a little bit. You would, you would."

She heard Link come up behind her, but she didn't stop playing. Her eyes were closed as she sang.

"Sing me something soft, sad and delicate, or loud and out of key, sing me anything. We're glad for what we've got, done with what we've lost. Our whole lives laid out right in front of us. Sing like you think no one's listening. You would kill for this, just a little bit, just a little bit, you would."

Link was entranced by the song, the lyrics haunting him. He wanted to sing something for her, but he couldn't.

"Sing me something soft, sad or delicate."

"Or loud and out of key," he said as she sang, remembering the repeated lyrics.

"Sing me anything."

As soon as the song was finished, she turned around and looked at him.

"Why didn't you sing it?"

"It would be…loud and out of key," he answered with a lopsided grin. She had to smile.

"That's the whole _point_."

"I know, but…" he joked, but she stood seriously.

"You're going to sing this song for me one day."

"I am?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, then…I guess I will."

"Thanks." She turned and looked at her piano. "I love that song."

"It was really nice."

"Wish I could hear it for real…" She nodded, looking away, thinking. She thought she should write the lyrics and piano part down, so she'd never forget it.

"So…anyway…I have to go find Luke. Seriously."

"I know. Come on, let's go now." He looked hesitant. "Don't worry, I'll let you talk with him alone," she said with a smirk.

He sighed. "Thanks."

They left the room, heading for the throne room. On the way there, Link said, "Did I tell you that you look beautiful today?"

"No!" she said, giggling.

"Well, you look beautiful today."

"Thank you!" waaaaaaaahhhhhh he was such a flattererrrrrrrrr.

The doors to the throne room were opened as usual; two giant, wooden carved doors that required multiple people to move. They could see across the long, carpet-lined room to Zelda and Luke at the other side, who were facing each other and talking. Zelda turned her head, smiling at Link and Meghan. Meghan waved, staying where she was. Link walked to them. When he reached them, some exchange of conversation took place, and Zelda left the two and skipped toward Meghan.

"Hello dear!" Zelda called, as she got closer.

"Hey, Zellie!" Zelda collided with her in a hug, turning the two around.

"How are you? Did you sleep well last night? You look radiant!"

"You too! Yeah, we slept for forever, pretty much. What about you?"

"Oh, it was wonderful!" she smiled, knowing Meghan might get the double meaning in her words.

"Good to be back to normal?"

"Heavens, yes," Zelda said, an appreciative smile on her face. "We do not realize how we miss the normal until we lose it."

"Yeah." Meghan looked away for a second, thinking. "Zelda! Look!"

"What is it?"

Meghan smiled at her, excitement bubbling up inside her. "Look!" she said, holding up her left hand, with the ring on her finger completely visible.

"Oh, yes!" Zelda laughed, having already seen the ring.

"Did you know he was going to ask me?" she asked since Link wasn't around, having a feeling that Zelda did already.

"Yes, I did, of course!" she said with a grin. "And I am truly happy for you."

* * *

"Link," Luke said with a sigh, putting his hand through his hair. "How are you?" he asked in Hylian.

Link shook his head. "Glad it's over," he responded. "I'm sorry, Luke."

"No, Link, I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry I…punched you and everything. I was angry…you didn't deserve it."

"Look, Link, let's just forget it, all right? It doesn't matter anymore. It's in the past."

"Right."

"Let's talk about…the future." Luke crossed his arms and angled his body slightly towards the girls on the other side of the room, his face growing his characteristic smirk. "I hear my man has claimed that pretty—"

Link scowled at him.

"Joking!" he laughed. "No, but seriously, congratulations. I knew you could do it. She is a special gem. If it wasn't you I was talking to, I'd never approve. She's a spe-"

"Holy goddesses, Luke, _shut_ up."

"I'm just saying!" Luke joked, holding his hands up in defense. "She's basically like my sister, so I have to approve of her suitors…"

Link turned to face him, looking him straight in the eyes, glaring the best he knew how.

Luke was serious for a moment, and then the two started laughing.

"It's good to be back."

They noticed the two girls walking toward them.

"Hello, ladies!" Luke greeted.

"Hey Luke!" Meghan said, slapping him a high-five, a custom she'd taught him. "What's up?"

"Not very much, my dear sweet Meghan!"

She laughed.

"And oh, I believe congratulations are in order, for getting this shy and awkward adolescent to finally ask you what he'd been trying to ask for quite some—"

"Luke!" Zelda and Link both chided at the same moment. Luke shrugged and rolled his eyes for Meghan, shaking his head. He mouthed, "What will I do with these two?"

Meghan giggled. "Thanks, Luke."

"All right, well right now we have one more thing to do," Zelda said suddenly. They all looked at her, noticing her tone was serious. But she smiled. "We need to return the Master Sword, and all the stones to their rightful places."

"Right," Link said.

"I should probably stay here. I sense this is over my head," Luke said.

"No!" Meghan said, wishing he'd come. It was _way_ over her head too, and yet she was always included. Besides, he was the comic relief guy. They all needed that!

"It's all right, Meg, I need to stay here anyway because _one_ monarch has to present at least _sometimes_, you know, to help our people and all," he said facetiously to Zelda. She rolled her eyes. Meghan and Link laughed.

Link got the Master Sword from Meghan's room, and then the three went to the Temple of Time. Meghan _really_ wished Luke had come, then. All the solemn "of Time" things reminded her of the past weeks she really wished she could forget.

The Door of Time was still open, and Link started to walk up the steps to the pedestal. Then Meghan got a sudden bad feeling.

"Wait," she said suddenly, interrupting the silence. Everyone was quiet for a second, waiting for her to continue speaking.

"What is it?" Link asked.

"Is this safe?" she asked.

"Is what safe?"

"Putting that back!"

"I think so?"

"Don't you remember all the hype last year? Nobody ever knows what will happen." She turned to Zelda. "Doesn't it still have the power to turn him back into a child?"

Zelda looked at her with wide eyes. "I think the power may have been annulled," she said feebly.

"Why would it be?"

"It certainly didn't work last time," she said.

"Yeah…and I guess we still know that Link can turn back time himself—"

"Meghan!" he interrupted, realizing what she was saying.

Zelda didn't know about that timeline. She didn't know about Meghan's death. She didn't remember that she was the one that had actually told him he could change time. But if he really _could_ change time, then he should be able to control whether he went back this time, couldn't he? He had everything he needed. _Sword and Ocarina_.

"What do you mean?" Zelda asked questioningly. Somehow, this pulled at her memory, like last night when she saw Luke for the first time. She somehow remembered something that happened, but didn't…what was it?

"Nothing, I mean, he just did it a while ago. Or something." She didn't make sense. "At any rate…we might be, like, thrown across the room again…"

"Meghan, I think I can control this. I think we're safe," he said reassuringly, confidently. "Besides being thrown across the room," he said with a frown. "Maybe you should sit down."

"Are you sure? You were the one who said…" she stopped before she did it again. She bit her lip, thinking for a second. She knew he'd just been being modest! "OK. I trust you, of course. Mr. Modest."

Zelda didn't know what they were talking about. There was something she didn't know. But she wouldn't question it now.

"Should I do it?" he asked Meghan. She thought for a second, then nodded vigorously._ Ah, what the hell. Go for it. :D _

"Don't ask me! Ask Zelda." Not like she knew anything about this mystical time stuff, anyway. She didn't know why he would ask for _her_ approval.

They stood beside him as he raised the sword vertically, slamming it into its pedestal. Like every time before, blinding lights surrounded them. But this time Meghan stayed standing. She covered her eyes to stop the burning light from blinding her. Then it faded away, and the first thing she saw was Link, a golden glow around him, letting go of the sword as it stood in its place.

"Hurry," he said, remembering the what would happen. The girls nodded as the rumbling started and the Door of Time started to close, and they all ran through the opening. They stood back as it closed behind them. All three of them wished it would be the last time they'd see that sword. Yet somehow, it was such a part of their lives that they wished it didn't have to disappear.

After a moment of quiet, Zelda walked over to the floating stones. They slowly lowered from where they'd been floating to fit inside their indentations. She pulled them out, all three floating above her own hands.

"I'll bring the Gorons back their Ruby," Zelda said.

"I'll bring back the Emerald!" Meghan said. Zelda moved the Emerald towards Meghan, and she reached out to get it. It stopped defying gravity once it touched her hands. "I need to get Liam anyway."

"Are we splitting up, then?" Link asked with a smile. "I guess that means I have to bring back the Sapphire," he said as he took the blue stone. His _first_ engagement ring, he noted with an internal laugh.

As much as he felt like he should worry about sending Meghan off by herself, he couldn't get himself to. He felt it was safe. Hyrule was once again back to normal.

They left the temple together, and across the town. When they reached the green grass of the field, Link pulled out the Ocarina of Time and called to Epona.

She came running from back through the town and stopped near him, greeting him with a nicker.

"For you," he told Meghan, gesturing toward Epona.

"Thank you, love." She mounted, the emerald grasped tightly in her right hand. Zelda waved her hand over herself, changing her clothes out of the dress she wore and into pants that she could move around in.

"OK guys, see ya," Meghan said, smiling at both of them in turn. Zelda smiled a truly content smile back at her, then disappeared into thin air. Link winked at her, then played the Serenade of Water, and warped away.

Alone in the field, Meghan faced forward, a grin on her face. "OK, Epona, let's show them what we're made of."

With that, Epona and Meghan started forward, across the countryside, across the field for what awaited her.

* * *

"Erol!" Meghan cried, seeing him standing in the front of the castle, by a bunch of soldiers and horses, looking healthy at last. She ran to him and gathered him into a hug, leaning down slightly. "How are you? Do you feel better?" She held him back at arm's length.

"Yes, I do. Thank you!"

"Oh, good," she said, pulling him close again. His cheeks turned red, and he felt awkward. But she didn't care. She felt responsible for what had happened to him, and she felt connected to him somehow. "Do you still bleed?"

"No, it stopped."

"Good! Good! Oh…when he died, I guess everything went back to normal! Me as well, Erol!"

"You had the same disease?"

"It wasn't a disease actually, he was changing us into humans."

"What are humans?"

"Humans are my species. It's a long story, but the goddesses' power changed me. Ganon was using his power to change us back to what I was. But he's gone now, so we should be fine."

"Thank you for taking care of me anyway, Miss Meghan."

"You leaving me?" she asked with an affectionate smile.

"Yes, I have to go back home now. I've been away far too long. My family needs me."

"All right, then. If you _have to_ go. Your mother will be so happy to see you. Please give my love to her and Sierace for me!"

"Of course, I will!"

"Thanks, kiddo! I'll totally miss you."

"I'll see you," he said, switching to speaking Hylian.

Meghan stood. Link put his hand on Erol's shoulder. He spoke the Hylian words that wished luck and safety for the future upon Erol. Erol thanked him. He went to say his goodbyes to Zelda and Luke.

Sheftali was across the grass in front of the castle, standing face to face with her husband. Her children were both there too. Meghan watched them. Sheftali's face was gentle and sad, but something told Meghan that his leaving with the soldiers was for the best. She'd only met him a few times, but that was enough to know all about him. He was an alcoholic

Hylian alcoholics weren't violent, it seemed, but he was certainly more than detached from his family and children than he should have been. He seemed totally normal at that moment though. He said something, and Sheftali nodded. He bent down to his children's height. He hugged Dia tightly. She pecked him on the cheek, and he smiled a true, fatherly and affectionate smile at her.

He moved to his son and rested a heavy hand on his shoulder, telling him something intently. Devan nodded a few times. Then his father hugged him. He looked both of them in their eyes, no doubt lovingly, then stood. Sheftali looked at each and told them something. Devan took Dia's hand and led her away. The children started walking in Meghan and Link's direction, and Meghan knelt down to receive them while surreptitiousness still watching Sheftali and her husband.

Sheftali looked at her husband intently, then said something. He nodded, saying something in return. His expression was especially serious. Her face melted from its intensity. He pulled her into a tight hug and she rested her head against his shoulder as he rocked her gently back and forth. After a long while, they let go. He kissed Sheftali, his hand pushing her peach-colored hair from her face a few times, then he turned to leave, in the direction of the other soldiers.

He'd only taken a few steps when Sheftali ran and grabbed his hand, turning him around. She kissed him again, more intensely this time. When they pulled away, he was smiling lovingly at her. He let go of her hand, and began to walk away again. Sheftali watched him leave, hope in her eyes.

* * *

Very late that night, as Link lay waiting for sleep, Meghan interrupted the silence, suddenly awoken. Somehow, everything just hit her at once.

Here she was, only _seventeen_, with the person she loved, and she was _engaged_ to him. Not to mention she'd died already and he'd brought her back to life. How many times had he saved her? She could never in a million years pay him back for that.

But they were getting married! When? Where? Why wasn't she thinking about this _more_? It seemed that once it happened, they were just content with their engaged status, as though that was all they needed to have claim over each other.

"Link, what are Hylian weddings like?" she asked, her voice surprisingly clear.

"Hmm?" he asked groggily, turning to face her in the dark.

"What are they like? I want to know if they're like my weddings."

"We went to Zelda and Luke's wedding. Remember?"

"Yeah, but aren't there any traditions I don't know about or anything? I mean, in America, it's like, 'something new, something old, something blue?' Something used maybe?" She was facing him, snuggled under the covers.

"What?" he asked, her words fuzzy in his sleepy mind. He had no idea what she was talking about.

She smiled, wide awake now, moving closer to him, putting a leg over his legs. "Strange traditions. You know."

"Well, I don't know much more than you do now, but do you know about…the part where we put our complete trust in each other, for the decisions?" It was the only thing he could think of at that moment, but she knew this from Zelda's wedding.

"No? Like…trust falls? Do you have to catch me falling off a cliff?" She snickered.

"No…no, not really." His eyes opened wider, looking into hers. Their faces were close, sharing the same pillow. "Zelda and Luke had to do it, don't you remember?"

"Oh, you mean where…"

"We each make every decision for the other on every aspect of the wedding. To show that we can trust each other. We choose what each other will wear. And…I don't know, everything else."

"Do you really _have_ to choose my dress?" She remembered now. Luke had had some crazy sense of fashion, or at least knew what looked good. Zelda _had_ looked amazing. Link…she wasn't sure about.

"I don't _have_ to," he said, slightly more awake now. "Do you not trust me?"

"No, of course I trust you. It's just that in America, we get to choose our own dresses, and I always dreamed of designing my own. Guys usually aren't even supposed to _see_ the dress until the day of the wedding."

"Well, if you really want to, we can _pretend_ I was the one who designed it."

"Would you really do that for me?" she asked, smiling as she inched close as she could.

"Of course," he said, smiling.

"Even though it would ruin the Hylian tradition?"

"It's not as though I ever follow traditions. My life is very different, you know that. Growing up in the Kokiri forest, missing seven years, then finding you. I'm about as foreign as you are." She shrugged, and he paused for a second. "What happened to you that made you like dresses so much? When we first met, you were throwing fits when Zelda made you wear anything close to formal."

She laughed. "Oh yeah. I don't even know. Maybe I never, like, felt beautiful enough to wear anything pretty. Or something philosophical like that. I wasn't the pretty type. I was pretty hardcore, actually, wasn't I, though? Do you remember what I was wearing when we first met? The very first day?"

"Of course I do. You were wearing that thin, black, sleeveless shirt with the design on the back. What did it say?"

"It said 'eternal.' What was I thinking?"

"But these…" he said distantly, moving his hand from around her back to the nape of her neck. His fingers traced over the chokers. "They're still there."

"Oh, yeah. I forget about them half of the time."

He was still staring at her neck, his eyebrows furrowing.

"What?" she asked.

He closed his eyes, pulling his hand back. "It's nothing."

"Are you sure?" She took his hand in hers, burrowing them, linked, between their bodies.

"They…they broke…"

He couldn't finish what he was saying. She was confused.

"They broke? No, they didn't...?"

"Never mind," he said, attempting to smile, but he felt the _pain_…

"No seriously, what are you talking about?"

"It's not important," he insisted.

But she had an idea. The fact that he wouldn't talk about it exclusively meant that it had to do with the events from a week ago. Something she barely remembered. When Ganon had impaled her, he had caught her by her neck before she fell. They'd all snapped under her weight as she'd fallen limply, though she didn't remember that part really. She just remembered falling…

She closed her eyes too, sudden tears and fear flowing through her. _A_ _shudder_.

"Just let it go," he whispered, gripping her tightly.

"Yeah."

They were silent.

_Let it go._ "But I still have to choose what you wear?"

He smiled. "Yeah. Unless you don't want to. Your job is easier, though. You cannot really pick the wrong white…ceremonial…tunic."

"If there was a way, I'd probably find it."

"No."

"Zelda's bachelorette party was fun. Do you have to plan mine too?"

"You…mean the pre-bridal party?" She nodded at the synonym. "Yeah. That, I am definitely doing."

Back into wedding-mode, she became giggly again. "Guess what."

"What?"

"I trust you to make it fun!" she giggled, not sleepy at all anymore. "And your bachelor party—I mean, pre-groom…al…ish party will be a blast!"

"Thanks," he said with a grin.

"No strippers for you, though."

"What?" he asked, and Meghan giggled, realizing she'd probably never told him what a stripper was.

"Nothing!" she laughed.

"What's a stripper?" he asked genuinely. She just smiled mischievously at him. "It's probably bad, isn't it?" He tried to imagine what whatever it was would be stripping.

"Not if you like the sort of thing. But my darling, it is too risque for your innocent ears."

"Is it a drink?"

"It's not kamamelon juice, let me tell you that. Do I get kamamelons at my party?"

"I'll consider it. So it's a drink?"

"No."

"Then what?"

She laughed at him. "Link…this is just suddenly hitting me with a lot _a lot_ of force. We're getting married? I'm engaged! Can you believe this? Well maybe you can…when did you start planning this? When did you get the ring? Tell me, tell me, tell me all your thoughts!"

"I didn't know you'd be so happy," he said, smiling.

"Of course I am! I'm suddenly feeling so much different…like, older. More grown up." She thought for a second, and he waited for her to speak. "You know, Link, we're engaged! What the hell are we doing, trying to sleep like _kids_?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…for since forever, we're always going to bed at normal times and stuff, waking up, having breakfast…going to bed the next night. I mean, there's never a dull day, but where's our _nightlife, _man? We don't have parents to listen to. You and I are such good kids…or _were_. But now, Link, we're engaged. We never had to be so monotonous. We shouldn't have to be. Why don't we be spontaneous? We can go wherever we like."

"I have a good reason," he said, pointing to the clock behind himself. "It's past three in the morning. We're tired."

"So? You know, I want some of that chocolate pudding stuff we had for dessert."

"Oh, yes, the _pudding stuff_," he joked. Pudding was a weird word to him.

"No, I'm serious!" she said, sitting up. "Let's go get some! I've been living here for over a year and I've never _once _explored the place at night. Let's raid the nonexistent and completely figurative fridge. Come on, please come with me?"

"I don't know, I don't really want to move." He turned onto his back, his arms above his head, hands beneath his head, and grinned at her (those arms, _man, _freaking holy _god_).

"Don't be a wet…blanket!" She pushed him.

"I'm not being a…wet…blanket. I'm just saying that I like sleep." He pulled the blankets up around himself and turned over teasingly, pretending to sleep.

"No! Please? Come on! Our late night…or early morning, whatever, kitchen exploration! Come on!"

"Fine! I'm coming." He threw back the blankets, sitting up. She was kneeling next to him on the bed. "Let's go get that…what did you call it? Chocolate pudding."

"Yes!" she cried, inching forward off the bed. They linked hands and walked to the door, Liam springing up from where he slept on a blanket. Barefooted, they left Meghan's room and turned right towards the kitchen, their feet lightly pattering against the cool stones of the floor. There were dim candles every so often in the hallway, but the moon also provided them light. They passed Zelda and Luke's room, and Link could tell that Zelda was awake still.

When they reached the kitchen, the door was closed, but it wasn't locked. They opened it slowly. The inside was dark, but grew lighter near the end of the room where the windows were. It smelled heavenly; rich entrees mixed with baked desserts. The beginnings of the next day's breakfast, an industrial sized bowl filled with flatcake batter, sat covered next to the fire stove on their right.

"Link! Look what's for breakfast tomorrow!" Meghan yelled, pointing into the bowl. Flatcakes were her favorite breakfast food here. They were just like pancakes, but were really sweet and it was common to eat them with jams here, rather than syrup.

"Your favorite!"

She grinned at him expectantly.

"Yes, they'll be at your party."

"Yes!" she cried, pumping her fist in the air victoriously. She looked around for a spoon. "They keep the utensils and plates and stuff separate…"

There was a door on the left side of the long kitchen, adjacent to the door that led to the dining hall. They opened it carefully, but inside it was dark and they could barely see the light reflected off shiny plates.

"Hold on, I'll get a candle," Link said, backtracking into the kitchen. He'd seen candles on the windowsills. Meghan watched him carefully, loving how strange it was to have a beautiful, shirtless guy floating around in Granice's kitchen. He took a deep red candle and concentrated on it for a moment before a too-large burst of flames shot from his hands onto the candle's surface, melting some of the wax and lighting the wick on fire.

Meghan laughed; stunned to see how little control he had over magic, but even more stunned that he had the ability to use magic like that. Where did that even come from? She'd only ever seen him create huge blasts of fire. "Are you OK?" she asked when he shook his hand out. She went to take the candle from him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, grinning. "Well, that was embarrassing. I'm really bad with magic. I can only make giant explosions."

"You can do more than most anyone can do!" she said. "I didn't even know you could make it that small. Was it like, Din's Fire?"

"Yeah, I don't even know where that came from. I just felt like I could do it. I had to concentrate really hard though. _Owww_…" he said, nursing his fingertips.

She pointed at the sink. "Put them under water," she said softly. He turned to walk to the sink, and she watched how the ripped muscles in his back moved softly as he walked. It was funny how exposed they were, in the kitchen, late at night. It'd be a _giant_ laugh if anyone happened to come in.

She turned with a smile, walking back to the plate room. When their candle's light reached the room, she was once again surprised.

It was huge.

There were so many shelves in a room half the size of her bedroom. Every shelf was lined with plate after plate, bowl after bowl, and glass after glass. She shouldn't have been surprised, knowing that they had to feed everyone, but seeing them all together was so strange.

"Link! Oh my goddesses!" she said.

"What is it?" he asked, turned to look as water flowed over his fingers.

She turned to face him. "**There. Are so many. Freaking. Plates**!"

He laughed. "Well, yeah."

"But…you don't understand…it's so weird…"

He chuckled again. "Did you find the spoons?"

"No, but I think I know where they are." Under every shelf, there were deep drawers filled with utensils. The first one she opened was full of forks, the second with small spoons. She pulled out two, and then grabbed two bowls from the shelf above them.

"Got 'em!" she said, closing the door behind her as she walked back to Link. He shut off the water and dried his hands on a towel.

"So where is your pudding?" he asked with a grin.

"Um, in the pantry?"

The pantry was on the left side, past the tables and counters stacked with pots and pans. Meghan found what she'd been craving right away in a cool metal bowl.

"Jackpot!" she hollered, tearing the lid off. It looked delicious, just as it'd tasted at dinnertime. She took it into the kitchen and put the bowl on table, then used a wooden spoon to scoop a bunch up and plopped equal amounts into both their bowls.

"Not that much!" he laughed, stealing away his bowl and spoon. She giggled, covering the large bowl again and putting it back. As she walked back, he held out his full spoon to her so she could take a bite without wasting any time. She savored the deep, rich flavor.

OK, so it wasn't chocolate. She didn't even think they had chocolate here. But it reminded her a lot of chocolate, with its deep and creamy flavor and dark color. Link took his spoon back and took a bite himself as Meghan picked up her bowl. She sat on the table, letting her legs dangle. The glossy, dark, wooden table was cool against the exposed part of her thighs. Link leaned against the table. He thoughtfully spooned the pudding into his mouth.

The dim, quiet atmosphere complete with the lush chocolaty flavor made Meghan very thoughtful too. Everything that happened hadn't even been a week ago, yet she had an extra two weeks stuck in the middle of her life somewhere. What if this wasn't even real? She'd only been back here a few days. What if she really had killed herself on earth, and this was she, really dead? This really was _heaven_. When she thought about it, there wasn't a moment since she came back that had been bad. Nothing, for once, had gone wrong. Her attitude was completely winsome, except when she thought about _those_ events.

Perfection. She was sitting here on the perfect night with her Link and delicious food. She wasn't even tired. She didn't feel anything wrong.

And it _bothered_ her.

The spoon lingered in her mouth for too long as her eyes stared off to the side. Link noticed her spacey pose and put his bowl on the table behind him, turning to her.

"Megs?" he asked, gently touching her knee. "What are you thinking about?" In his peripheral vision, he saw the scab from Ganon's sword that messily cut across her shoulder. He wondered briefly if it would stay there forever, just like the one on her stomach. It made his insides churn.

She turned to look at him, smiling lackadaisically. "I think I'm dead," she replied wistfully.

"What are you talking about?" he asked seriously, facing her square on, with his hands on either leg. She put her bowl down on her right, and then stared into his eyes.

"This is crazy…but this is too perfect. This can't be real. I have to be dead. I mean…this isn't even feasible! People don't…just…I don't know."

"You're not dead, Megs! I swear, I've been with you…I mean, skipping the part where you were in America, I've been right beside you. You aren't dead. I think I'd notice."

"But if this is just some crazy amazing heaven, you could just be _saying_ that! How will I ever know?"

"But you were…never hurt in this timeline. You remember it. You didn't die when you were on Earth, did you? I didn't think there were crazy people wishing revenge on me running around on _Earth_."

"I think I did," she said, her voice cracking. "I really think I did die, now. And I…" She didn't finish her sentence. She didn't want to say it. He'd be outraged. Or sad. She looked away.

"Did something happen?" he asked, his hand on her face. "How can you not know? Tell me."

"Just before…I wanted anything to be free of all that pain. I _thought_ I was in hell already. I didn't think I could die again. Just before I came back…I was so close…"

"To what?"

"Promise you won't get angry?"

He sucked his breath in sharply. "Meghan…" he said, understanding then. He leaned his forehead against hers, her knees now digging into his legs. His voice became remorseful. "If Zelda hadn't come that moment…me too." He closed his eyes.

"Link, we're a mess, aren't we?"

He laughed bitterly, his breath on her lips. "Yeah."

"I'll never know if I'm alive or not. How can anything prove it to me?"

He shook his head against hers. "Just enjoy this. There's really no reason to worry. But I'm pretty sure I'm alive and I always have been, here, in reality."

She tried to believe him and let him convince her that she was worrying for nothing. But what if the _real_ Link was somewhere, crying over her death? Hurting? Killing himself?

"What if you're dead too?" she asked, afraid that he could have gone on with the same thing she might have.

"Then we have nothing to worry about at all, right? You're all that matters to me. We're in the same place."

She nodded, their foreheads still together. She smelled the chocolate on his breath, sweetness added to sugar. "Life is...stupid…without you…" she whispered, moving her face forward so their lips met. When she pulled back again, he kissed her again. Her arms around him, she pulled herself closer to the edge of the table. Their bodies were magnetized together, and her fingers clutched his bare back, once again feeling the smoothness of his skin. Her camisole had drifted up slightly and his hands were on her lower back, touching her bare skin as well.

He could taste the chocolate mixed in her mouth. Unconsciously, his hand slid down her back and down her leg to her thigh. Her shorts had been pushed up even further when she scooted forward, exposing more of herself. Like her, he was consumed by how soft her skin felt under his fingers, how soothing it was to feel.

Her lips broke away from his, surprising him. She moved her lips near his left ear, breathing hard, and she whispered in a hoarse, provocative voice, "Did you kill him?"

He was surprised, pulling his head back to look at her face. "Kill who?" He thought she was talking about Ganon…but she obviously saw that he had.

"Shina," she spat, her eyes turning angry. His hand moved off of her leg in his surprise.

He frowned at her. He didn't want to say it. He didn't want to admit it. Why did she have to ask something like that? "Yeah," he said shamefully, but there was no hint of regret in his voice. His breath was even as he pushed it from his mind. Far from his mind.

_I am not a killer._ "Don't ask me that."

"I hate him," she whispered vehemently, her voice cracking on the word "hate."

He rested his cheek against her soft one. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Meghan moved back, turning her head away from him and drawing her legs up onto the table. "Not badly…"

"What did he do?" Link asked with an angry tone.

"Just…everything." She remembered his ugly hands, touching her skin, and she grimaced, feeling goose bumps on her skin. Her wrist was still bandaged, though it was nearly healed due to Zelda's daily healing sessions, but she remembered how he'd twisted and pulled it to the point of pain. She pulled herself away from Link, pulling into herself. Link tried to get her back to him.

"What did he do?" he asked again, his eyes pained. He brushed her cheek gently. She looked at him in response to his gesture. She opened her mouth to speak, but she found that she couldn't speak the words. Instead, she slowly uncurled herself and embraced him. He had moved up close to the table, so now the only spot for her legs to dangle were at either side of his body. He held her close, protectively, comforting. She buried her head in him.

Distracted by each other, neither one of them realized they had a visitor.

Until he licked Meghan's foot.

"Pff-what the fffuu…" she yelled, flinching backward from the wet, slimy tickle. "Liam!"

Link started to laugh so hard then, his grip on Meghan loosening. Her heart was beating madly and she had to lean back for a second to get a grip. She moved her hand back to support herself, but accidentally hit the edge of Link's bowl, sticking her fingers in the cool, imposter chocolate pudding. She started to laugh, licking the sweetness off her fingers. Link sniggered, pulling Meghan back to an upright sitting position. He kissed her gently.

"Let's go," he said. "He's lonely without us."

"Poor Limie!" she whimpered, reaching down to pet him. His nose was in the air, sniffing for the food. He managed a lick to her fingers before she pulled away.

"Come on," Link said, picking Meghan up off the table and setting her on the floor.

"We have to wash the bowls and put them away!" She picked them both up. "No! Better idea! How about some flatcake batter for the road?"

"'For the road…?' Oh right." Yeah, he'd heard that one before.

She spooned batter with a clean spoon into each other their bowls and mixed them with the leftover chocolate. "OK! Time to go. Come, Limie!"

They walked back through the moonlight, Meghan dancing between the shadows, to her home. She set her bowl on the nightstand and climbed under the thin blanket. He paralleled her, on his side. Liam sniffed at them before jumping on the edge of the bed and laying at their feet.

"Thanks, Link," she said sincerely, staring up at the ceiling.

"No, thank you," he whispered back, holding her hand. They heard Liam yawn.

"Tell me more about weddings," she said, the first hint of tire in her voice.

"What do you want me to tell you about?"

"Anything…" she said, drifting, intending to reach over to get her food. He smiled, knowing he didn't have to say any more.

"OK."

* * *

**So basically that scene where they raid the kitchen is one of my _very_ favorite scenes. X3 I just imagine it being so cute, but it also shows how affected they still are by those events. O_O bwahaha.**

**Thank you to those who sent a review! I really, really appreciate them! :D I appreciate anyone reading too! XD**

**Hayley: Aw, what a cute question! X3 I actually think about this a lot, and this is how I imagine it. So, Link and Meghan both have their own houses, like Link's in the Kokiri Forest, and Meghan's apartment in the castle, but most of the time they hang out at Meg's apartment cause it's bigger and nicer and more convenient. I don't imagine he **_**officially**_** moves in cause that would be indecent in the eyes of most people in Hyrule, but Zelda and Luke know he stays there. It's official to the four of them (and Granice knows, but she doesn't think anything of it either), and that's all that matters. :D And haha! Dundundun! You'll have to see! ;)**

**BrokenArrow: Thank you thank you! :3 Glad you see Luke's kindness! I really love him and I'm so happy that his characteristics are apparent. :D**

**~Thank you for reading!~**


	24. Aftermath

**Warning: The end section of this chapter is...mature? IDK. I guess it's not _that_ bad but I'm just warning you cause I'm a prude. :D Indeed.**

* * *

**Chapter XVII – Aftermath ("Safe and Sound" - Taylor Swift ft. The Civil Wars)**

* * *

Flash

Dark

Red

Warm

So cold…

Oh goddesses, that face…

So ugly.

So ugly.

She looked up, and it pierced straight through her skin, through her insides, through her soul, and she fell. She kept falling, jerking, waking, screaming out.

She gasped, choking out cries of helplessness, imagining the incident, clutching her arms to her abdomen.

"Meghan! Meghan, what's wrong?" he cried, bolting awake, throwing the covers off himself, putting his hands on her. She shuddered and cried, wouldn't stop holding her stomach to herself.

"Meghan, did you have a bad dream?" he asked softly, trying to get her to face him. She whimpered, eventually admitting to it.

"Damn it," he said, his voice strained with tire and anger, and he gathered her to himself. "Don't worry, Megs, I have you. You're safe now."

_Safe now._

Was there such thing?

* * *

They woke up late again. It was lunchtime when they woke. They got dressed and went to find somebody to hang with. They weren't really hungry.

With their usual luck, they found Zelda on their way towards the kitchen. Luke followed behind, and they greeted each other.

"We were just about to have lunch, would you care to join us?" Luke asked.

Meghan and Link looked at each other knowingly. Meghan shrugged.

"We're not really hungry, but I'll have a little something," Meghan said.

"You didn't eat already, did you?"

"No," Link answered as Luke pushed the door to the dining room open. Link and Luke offered to go get the food as Meghan and Zelda sat down. Zelda gave her an expectant smile. Meghan smiled back, not sure what Zelda was thinking.

"Were you up late last night?" she asked, smiling.

"Yeah…?" Meghan said, trying to sound nonchalant. She had barely slept at all, really.

"You were up _awfully_ late. And you aren't hungry?"

"How do you know? Zelda, that's so…annoying." She laughed, not trying to offend Zelda.

Zelda laughed too. "Lately, I have been finding that I know great deal about the state of Link's conscious mind. I have to tell you, only because it makes me feel guilty. I can feel almost everything he feels, depending on how close he is and how strong the feelings are. But I also know when that conscious mind is numbed, when he is not so conscious."

Meghan stared blankly for a second, trying to stay calm. Did that mean that Zelda knew they were up so late, in the kitchen…?

"So what were _you_ doing up so late last night?"

"I could not sleep. I continued thinking there was something I was forgetting. It was something important, I am sure it was. And then I felt very, very suddenly happy, which so very strange because I was frustrated that I didn't know what it was that I was trying to think about. I realized it wasn't me, though. He was just so happy."

Meghan wondered if Link had felt frustrated like Zelda had.

They heard Luke's laughter through the door, and the mumble of Link and Luke's tenor voices.

"What do you mean, something you don't remember?" Meghan asked, unsure if she and Link were trying to keep it a secret, or just trying not to freak Zelda out.

"I'm continually getting tiny flashes of memories in my mind as things remind me of something, almost like a dream that I can't remember. I can't hold on to any of the flashes for a reasonable amount of time. I get a horrible feeling every time, though, and the one thing I can remember is Ganon's horrible face…laughing for a reason I know couldn't be good." Her face was upset, her eyes drifting away from Meghan's.

"Oh…Zelda," Meghan said, unsure if she should tell her. "Maybe it's…"

At that moment, Luke and Link walked in, smiles on their faces, trays in their hands. Meghan turned around, her face sobered and worried. Zelda looked up, smiling. Meghan looked at her, and she met her eyes for a second.

"Zelda?" Luke asked, sensing the change in atmosphere. The boys put the food down on the table.

"What's wrong?" Link asked, looking at Zelda.

"Nothing!" Zelda said, laughing a genuine laugh.

Meghan smiled. "Yeah."

Link was convinced, so he smiled and sat down. Luke went to the other side of the table and sat next to Zelda.

"What were you guys laughing about?" Meghan asked innocently. She could use a laugh. Link and Luke's eyes met for a second.

"Nothing, just…the food."

"No, you weren't!"

"Trust me, Meghan, it's better as a secret," Luke teased. Zelda smiled knowingly at him, another teasing edge to her eyes.

"Well then. I guess I really don't want to know," Meghan said, sulking and crossing her arms. They all laughed at her, the baby.

And yet, she was extremely happy. They were all back to where they'd been before, the four of them. They were all each other's best friends. Any moment together was (typically) just fun. It was like her own Joy Luck Club. Minus the Mah Jong.

Link gave Meghan a plate of flatcakes.

"Yes!" she said, suddenly voracious.

While Zelda and Luke ate a normal lunch, Meghan and Link munched on their flatcakes. They were yummy!

Meghan put down her knife and turned to Link. She moved to whisper in his ear, and he leaned over to hear, an inquisitive look on his face.

"So you're not going to tell me what you were talking about?" she whispered, smiling. He could hear the smile in her words, even though he couldn't see it.

"I don't plan to," he whispered back, smiling. "It's not important, really." She frowned, pretending to be angry, and turned sharply back to face Zelda and Luke. But on her way of righting her position, she put her hand down on the table where she'd put her knife, catching her palm on the blade.

"Ouch!" she said, pulling her hand back towards herself.

"Are you OK?" Link asked frantically.

"Yeah!" she breathed, smiling. "I'm fine," she chuckled.

"Meghan?" Zelda asked.

"Fine!" she said, looking at her palm and the pearly cut in her skin. It didn't look deep at all. She showed them quickly, and they seemed convinced. She shrugged and put her cut hand, the left one, in her lap and continued to eat. They smiled, looked at each other worriedly, and followed suit. Zelda glanced up occasionally.

Strangely quiet, Meghan continued eating. Link looked over, worried. Was she really upset that he wouldn't tell her what they were talking about? He stared into his own food, pushing it around the plate.

Her hair fell in her face and she pushed it back with her left hand, running her fingers through it. Her palm felt strangely wet, and she thought she was imagining things. Did she get the strawberry preserves she was eating with her flatcakes on her hand? She looked at her palm, and her mouth opened wide in shock, her hand freezing close to her face as she stared at it in disbelief.

"Meghan?" Zelda asked, noticing her shock, but she couldn't see that side of Meghan's head, so she didn't notice what Link noticed a second later.

"Meghan!" he said loudly, turning and nearly knocking his chair over.

She couldn't stop staring at her hand, her palm…the cut…

Link's fingers brushed over the red that had smeared over her temple and brow when she had fixed her hair. The very tips of his fingers were covered in that horrible red, the red he hoped he'd never have to see again. He didn't understand it. He stared in disbelief for a second too.

Zelda and Luke stood up, trying to figure out what had turned their friends so silent and stunned. It was then when Link turned Meghan's hand from its frozen position so he could see the red on her hand. Meghan's eyes moved to his face, her breathing shallow. She didn't know what to say.

Then Zelda saw what they were shocked over, and stepped backward, her hand to her mouth, her vision going blank. Images flowed before her eyes, all at once, so fast yet so slow. She saw pictures she never wanted to see again. Her knees buckled, everything coming to her in a flash. She remembered everything, a strange dreamlike reality. Luke reached out to catch her.

"What's going on?" he asked, the only one unaware of exactly what was going on, the moment chaotic in the dining room.

Meghan had bled. Tears came from her eyes as she silently tried to figure out how, why something like this would happen. She didn't understand. Link reached forward again, wiping the blood from her face. A high-pitched whimper came from her mouth.

She shook her head, looking at him, words not forming in her mouth. Zelda was groaning from the horrible images she couldn't erase from her brain. She saw Meghan's still body, eyes empty and staring at the ceiling in the stone room. Blood was everywhere on the floor around her, and the gaping wound in her stomach was the obvious source. Link stained with blood. He carried the body with him everywhere, a dead _thing_ that he refused to relinquish.

Luke had his hands on her shoulders, trying to figure out what was wrong. She put her hands on her head, trying to shake away the thoughts. When had this happened? It was so real. But it couldn't be! She could remember touching the cooling skin, closing the empty eyes…

"Meghan, what happened? Why are you bleeding?" Link asked, looking her over. She looked exactly the same. "I don't understand…I thought you'd gone back after we defeated him!"

He still remembered her bleeding in the Temple of Illusions and after she fought Ganon. Had she never changed back?

"No!" she yelled, moving away from him and out of her chair. She looked at her hand again, the red already caking together. Such a tiny, tiny thing…

"Zelda!" Luke yelled, gently shaking Zelda. "What's wrong? Tell me!" He looked from person to person, completely confused.

"Meghan!" she squealed, opening her eyes and looking up at him. "I don't understand!" She looked over at Meghan, who was panicking, but looked perfectly alive. "Why am I seeing this? Remembering this?"

Meghan moved swiftly backward from her chair. She heard Zelda's pained groans, but they didn't register in her head. She felt rage and anger.

Why did he always have to ruin _everything_? She was supposed to be a _Hylian_, not a human! But now she didn't know _what_ she was. She didn't belong anywhere!

"What the hell am I?" she asked quietly. Link stood quickly and went to her. He rested his hands on her arms, trying to calm her. The anger she felt, the anger he was trying to comfort, was painful, but somehow, she knew it had to be there. She wanted more of it, sickly craving the attention he gave her, the comfort from the pain. She savored it. She just wanted to be comforted…but at the same time she didn't feel right here, with them.

She shook him off, letting the anger uproot. She ran to the door, shaking her head, tears falling to the floor in her path. She left before Link could know where she was going.

"Meghan!" he yelled after her, moving a few steps toward the door. He stopped and turned to look at Zelda quickly.

"Link, what is this I'm seeing?" she asked.

"What is it?" he asked, not knowing what she was talking about.

"I feel like…this has happened before! Why is there so much blood? Why is it so vivid?" She begged the information from him.

He realized what she was talking about. She had remembered. This complicated things.

"I promise, I'll explain completely later! Please, don't worry about it! It's not real, anymore. Just hold on. I'll be back," he said as he backed out of the room.

He ran out the door in the direction that Meghan went. He passed her room, but she wasn't there. He hesitated only momentarily outside of it, but continued on out of the castle.

* * *

"You could have at least told me where you were going," she heard him say, behind her, footsteps she'd heard moments before growing closer. They hadn't alarmed her because she recognized his lithe, intense gait.

"I didn't _know_ where I was going."

It was almost two hours later that he had found her all the way across the field, on the shore of Lake Hylia. The sun was high in the sky, sending warmth down on the two as Link approached Meghan from behind her sitting form. She stared out to the middle of the giant lake, the water rippling only slightly on the calm day. One of his hands gently touched her waist, a comforting gesture.

"Are you OK?" he asked, his voice laden with concern. He had kneeled next to her.

"Yeah," she answered. Then she nodded. "I am. It's just weird. I…I want to be like you." She turned to face him. "I don't want to be a stupid…_stupid_ human."

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with being a human."

"Yeah, there is! They're…we're dumb. Dumb emotions, dumb desires. Dumb bodies. Dumb. You haven't even been one. You can't know."

"But I fell in love with a human," he said. "I think there's a lot to like about humans. Besides, physically you've barely changed a bit. You don't look different. Your outside hasn't changed; you still look like a Hylian. Your inside only changed."

"But haven't we always been taught that's it's the inside that counts? It's what's inside a person that counts? I understand that bit of synecdoche may be a bit distant for someone not like me to understand but…" She drifted off.

"I never looked at it that way. It's not the outside or inside, or body or anything. It's the person. It's the…it's you. Your personality is what matters. Whoever taught you that was superficial."

She almost laughed, the irony of the difference between the cultures so strong. Here she was, communicating one of the most common sayings of her culture to him, and there he was, telling her the nicest thing a person could think was superficial. She didn't quite understand his logic. "I feel so dumb though. I can't even control whether I bleed or not!"

"No one can, Meghan! It doesn't matter. As long as you don't _keep_ bleeding, as long as you're well and healthy, then nothing else matters."

"But…this just ruins everything. What if…everything inside me is changed? What if I can't do anything Hylian anymore? What if I really am another species? Then…I'm not like you. I can't do...things."

"Like what? What are these magical Hylian things you supposedly can't do anymore? Please, fill me in," he challenged, trying to think of something that would have made any difference. _He_ couldn't even think of anything. He smiled, sure there was nothing.

"Like…" she stopped, embarrassed. She couldn't say the one thing she thought of, whether it would ever pertain to them or not. "Nothing, I guess," she lied. "You're right."

"See?" he said, not picking up on her hinting at that moment (or maybe he wouldn't even understand, since his knowledge of biology was often lacking). "You're just the same, I swear."

He pulled her into a hug, her arms wrapping around his neck. He breathed deeply.

"Sorry for being moody again," she said, feeling bad now. Ugh. She wanted to stop being so…stupid.

"Love," he said affectionately, "don't even think about it. It's fine."

She sighed.

"We have explaining to do," he said after a few seconds. She pulled away slowly.

"For what?"

"Zelda remembered."

"Did she?" Meghan asked loudly, surprised. She knew what he meant immediately.

"Maybe the blood reminded her. I don't know. I told her we'd explain. It's probably not fair to not tell her."

"Yeah, I know." The wind picked up and blew strands of her hair, swirling them around her face. "Let's go, then."

By the time they got back to her, Zelda seemed totally calm and collected, again. Link felt her anxiety, though, as they entered her and Luke's sitting room. Meghan and Link sat across from her, on the couch.

"Zelda, we will explain what happened now." Link stared her straight in the eyes, reading her emotions fluidly. It still amazed him how he could sense the things she felt.

"It's going to sound totally unreal, but I'm sure you will understand all these magic-y crazy things," Meghan said.

"Yes. Why do I see all these horrible things? I saw her…" she looked at Meghan deeply. "You were…"

"I know. I was dead, wasn't I? That really happened. But it happened in some other time zone. So, like, right here, it never did happen. I really…died, I guess. I remember dying."

"After Meghan…" Link took a deep breath, and Zelda felt some crushing and sinking hopelessness emanating from him, "…left, she went back to Earth. We imagine that the gods decided she'd caused trouble here in Hyrule and sent her back there, while I was here, thinking she'd…died. Which…she had…but not completely. But in this other dimension, _you_ came to me and told me that I had the power to turn back time, if I just had the Master Sword and the Ocarina, and I could save her. So I think I tried to. I don't actually know if it actually was me, or the Gods just realizing that she was needed here. But we went back in time to before she'd almost been…well, before." Zelda realized he'd stopped before something in his soul cracked in two.

"But you didn't remember! When we were coming back to Hyrule, nothing we hinted at seemed to make sense to you. So we just kinda didn't say anything. We didn't know if you would remember at all, and it's not really something you'd want to remember, so we didn't tell you. But none of it is real. It was, but it isn't now."

"Is that…what happened?" She shuddered as the image of Ganon stabbing Meghan through flashed before her once again. Luke protectively put his hand in hers. "That would explain why you were so violent suddenly, Link, in that maze! We were rushed, but suddenly, you paused in a strange, _rippling_ way, and then I felt intense rage, this anger, and glass was shattering all around me. You were saving her, weren't you? That was the point in time you returned to." Though they were having this conversation aloud, Link and Zelda were having their own, secret conversation of emotions. Zelda sent her comfort his way. Hinting for him to not think about it. Everything was well now.

"How is that possible?" Luke asked. "It was in another time in which you were…" Dead?

"Yeah, I guess," Meghan said. "Another time zone. Which technically contained 'us'es that weren't us." She looked away from Luke, staring off and away from the others. "I mean, when you think about it, maybe every decision we make could branch off into another time zone. There could be, like, an infinite amount of us, every dumb decision or…" The idea of infinity and vastness dizzied Meghan.

"It's very possible," Zelda said, pondering Meghan's idea. They all gave each other grave looks.

* * *

When the time came to do so, Meghan disappeared into her room to change into her nightclothes. She did so slowly, thoughtfully. Mournfully. She didn't know why she felt like this, but she felt like something _had_ died. Something would never be back to the way it was before. She couldn't get back her _inability_ to bleed, could she? She had, at first, not particularly liked being changed into a Hylian, but after a year it grew on her. She wanted to be like Link. She wanted to share everything with him.

She pulled her shorts on, but paused after removing the shirt she'd worn for the day. She stared at the new cut in her hand, laid out like another crease in her palm. It was tiny now. Maybe she could heal faster now. But it still bothered her.

She didn't know how long she stood there, still half dressed, but soon a knock came at her door.

"Meghan?" Link called softly. "Are you OK?"

Usually, she was in her clothes and done with it. But he'd noticed how long she was taking. Maybe, he thought, she was crying. For some reason, she was running away from him on this is issue. Why was that? She'd always come to him for everything, but now she was drifting away again. He couldn't let that happen.

"Oh, yeah…" she said distantly. It didn't sound like she was crying, or particularly upset. Just in another world. He waited for her to let him in.

"Can I come in?" he asked finally.

"Sure," she said distractedly.

He carefully opened the door. He was taken by surprise, to see her perched on the end of her bed in shorts and her bra. He guessed occasionally she did things like this. From the way she was gently running her finger along her palm, he was sure she didn't even care or realize what state of dress she was in.

Well, it didn't really bother him _that_ much. She looked…beautiful. Except for the aloof way she was acting.

"Megs, what's wrong?" he asked, closing the door behind himself and staying close to it.

"Nothing," she said quietly, looking up at him. "I just haven't seen these in a while. It seems so…superfluous." Her fingers brushed absently across her shoulder, where there was another healing wound. Ganon's doing. It was scabbed and colored in varying shades of red and purple, and once it faded into a pearly white scar, it would probably never go away. Just like the one on her stomach and _unlike_ the cut on her hand, which was already beginning to fade.

She stared up at him with eyes golden in the firelight, tired and confused. He'd just taken a bath and his hair was damp. It was late.

"Just…don't worry about that, Meghan. You are what you are."

"And you still love me for that?" she finished. She knew he'd say something to that respect.

"Exactly," he said, taking a few steps forward. She drew her legs up onto the bed, sitting cross-legged. She noticed the color on his face. He was slightly flushed, and for the first time, she realized why. It hadn't even occurred to her. She'd felt so comfortable with him that it was like he was another part of herself. And _she_ surely didn't mind if she was sitting around in shorts and a bra.

"Oh, Link I'm sorry—" She moved her arms back in an attempt to get up.

"No, it's fine," he said, rushing to her before she could move too far. He kneeled on the floor at the edge of the bed so she was looking down at him. He took her hands.

"But I have to—" she started, looking around to find where she'd put the rest of her pajamas. OK, so the shirt was a cami and it was only _slightly_ less revealing than the bra...but her bare stomach _was_ blaringly exposed.

"Wait," he said. She looked back to his face, where an unfathomable expression lay. She didn't know what it meant. He searched her eyes, which were still confused and waiting for him to do something.

He certainly had the overwhelming urge to do something...

He let go of one of her hands and lifted it to her collarbone, watching her skin as he traced it, and went just below her new wound. Then his brow furrowed, and he kept his finger in place.

"I've hurt you so much, Meghan," he said, emotion clear in his voice. He didn't look at her. She was about to protest, to ask why he said that, but he continued. "All I've ever wanted to do is keep you safe, but I keep failing for some reason."

His eyes drifted to her other scar, one equally as long but not quite as nasty looking anymore, the one on her tummy. "None of this should have to be on you. If it wasn't for me, you would never have been hurt this way. This should all be happening to me. You just being with me…is dangerous. And I should have protected you better. It seems like I can protect anything but you."

"Link, don't think that way…" she said feebly. Honestly, it was true. If she wasn't with him all the time, didn't have to go with him on every adventure to save the world, then she wouldn't have been so battered. But honestly still, she couldn't think of it being another way. "This is how I want things to be. It's better this than other things. You know that."

She looked at his face for a few seconds, before looking down to watch his fingers gently slide over her exposed skin again. She could hear his breathing through his slightly parted lips. His finger glided over to her bra strap and slid under it. Her stomach flipped as he slowly slid it down over her shoulder and onto her arm. It didn't expose much, as Hylian bras were certainly less skimpy than ones in America. But just the act was symbolic.

"Link," she breathed as his fingers drifted back the other way. They traveled up her neck and into her hair, pulling her head down to meet his. All her doubts disappeared in a second as he kissed her. Did his kiss ever get old? No, she could never get tired of it, or the exhilaration of it.

He stood then, bending over so he kept their faces together. His other hand was on the bed and he used it to hold himself as he pushed her backward. She fell back, uncrossing her legs under him, her body melting into the fluffy covers. He moved her closer to the center of the bed, so their legs didn't hang off the edge of the bed. He kissed her, his hands tangled well into her wild and long hair. She felt his warm, still slightly moist skin against her exposed stomach. As he kissed her and they breathed together, she felt like their skin was fusing together. An almost palpable tingling occurred on her skin. She ignored it, thinking it was just the magic of the moment. And then it stung.

Then it started to burn. Her skin was on fire. She gasped as the discomfort escalated and she had to push him away, words not forming directly in her mouth. She winced, and he frowned in confusion, his beautiful face still flushed. She coiled under the pain.

"What's wrong?" he breathed.

She shook her head, breathing audibly. "It burns…"

"What burns?"

She leaned back on her arms, looking down at her own stomach, where her scar was. It was red, inflamed. She frowned, throwing her head back. What was going on? The pain was receding, though.

"Oh," he said, looking at it too. She couldn't help but feel self-conscious. He hesitantly reached out to touch it with his fingers. It didn't burn as it had. The pain was practically gone. "It's…cursed…still. I didn't know it would ever react like that. To me."

Why had this never happened before? Oh…because they'd never done _that_ before.

"Well, you're benevolent. It hates you." How could she allow her own skin to hate that of her love? Why did all these things keep going wrong?

"I can try to…" He stopped speaking. He felt confident that he could fix it. He didn't know where it came from, but he felt his magic swell up inside him. He knew he could heal her. Goddesses, if nothing else, he could try to _heal_ her (though he was no Zelda).

He closed his eyes for a second, and then opened them. They both noticed the Triforce glow on his hand at Meghan's side. She didn't know why, but his magical powers seemed to be increasing a lot lately. Zelda's too. Was it the final absence of Ganon? Had he given his Power to the two?

Link leaned forward and kissed the scar slowly, and she swore that his skin was glowing like the sun, ever so slightly. Maybe it was just the lighting. She leaned back farther, giving him enough space, self-conscious still. He looked up at her, smiling.

"Is that better?" His glow had seemingly faded.

She shrugged. It didn't feel different. "Only one way to find out."

He smirked, his right arm snaking around her body as he moved to her again. "Tell me if it does hurt," he whispered against her lips. Again, their skin touched, hot and sticky. The scar still tingled, but didn't hurt as it had. Maybe it was just fading away. After a few seconds, he whispered, "Better?"

She nodded fiercely. He smiled as his lips found hers again. He rolled them over so she was on top of him. Their legs tangled together. His hands circled around her back, holding her close to him. His hands slid up her back along her spine, causing a spasm and a giggle. He smiled. It was the only place she was ticklish. Straight up her back his finger traveled, settling right near her bra.

She was squished so close to him that she didn't even realize what he'd done until it was done. His fingers undid the hooks on her bra in succession. She kissed him, and they rolled back over. Then she realized.

She pushed him off of her again, this time a little harder. She crossed her arms over her chest, holding the bra in place. The Bosom Fairy had been fairly nice to Meghan, though when she lost weight, she became more proportional. It was still uncomfortable though, sitting there like that.

She looked up at him. He looked shocked at himself; his mouth open like he was about to speak, but he didn't say anything for a few seconds.

"I'm sorry!" he said emphatically, untangling himself from her and sitting on the bed beside her. "I don't know what I was…thinking…" He moved away, giving her space.

Her expression softened. "It's OK," she breathed. "I was just surprised."

He looked really sorry, like he was internally chiding himself.

"No, I'm really sorry. I don't even know why…oh, goddesses, Meghan…I just…wanted us…"

She smiled hesitantly. "I'm right here, Link, it's OK," she whispered, leaning closer to him. He stayed far back.

"No, Meghan, it's not. I shouldn't have done that. I really don't know why I did."

Suddenly she thought of all the power he had. And though she didn't know it, this was part of that. Zelda realized long ago that with the disappearance of Ganon from Hyrule, their power had disappeared. But with his _death_, their Power increased. The Triforce of Power had been divided equally between the two. And where Link had once lacked power with Meghan, he gained it back. He had the power to decide what he wanted to do.

"Because…you want me," she said with a lopsided smile, staring from behind her long lashes in the dimness at him. Her eyes were devious. Enchanting. He tried to ignore them. Her lips were parted slightly.

"But you didn't like that I did that."

"I never said that."

"It was implied, when you push me away."

"I just told you, I was just surprised. I don't…" she stopped, embarrassed.

"What?"

"Nothing…no, just ignore me." She looked into his eyes, thinking of how to word what she wanted to say. "Do you…want to…see?"

"What? No!" he said, too loudly. He shifted uncomfortably, his face flushing again. She frowned, knowing he was lying, and turned red herself. He looked away for a moment, and then looked back. Her head was tilted to the side.

"Can I be honest with you about something that may offend you?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said, looking inquisitive. "Bout what?"

"Yesterday morning…when you woke up…I wasn't…"

She remembered back to yesterday morning. It seemed so long ago, now. What had she done? She finally remembered she'd woken up, while he still slept.

"You weren't sleeping, were you?" she asked. He _had_ seemed awfully shifty. But he was, perhaps, a good actor...

"No, I woke up when you got out of bed," he said, sounding guilty. "But you were so beautiful." He could see it in his mind. Her back to him, her exposed skin…the curves in her body. The gentle arch of her spine…"But I couldn't just intrude like that."

"This time it was my fault, though, right?" She smirked.

"No!"

She thought it was so funny. He was so mature. He had saved the world, two times now. But she couldn't forget that he was still a _teenager_, still only eighteen. And she was his first girlfriend. He'd never experienced anything like this before. Neither of them had.

"Link, listen to me! I swear, it's not a big deal! I don't care. You're my other half, you know? And, like, nothing about me is a secret from you."

He looked away. "Yeah…" he said quietly. He sighed. "I didn't actually see anything, you know, yesterday—" he started.

"Link! I don't care! Stop it."

He grimaced, hating himself for a moment. "Turn around," he said, lifting his hand.

"You don't have to."

"I _want_ to," he said solidly. She listened to him. She felt his fingers pause for a second on her back.

"You're _allowed_ to touch me," she said, almost laughing. His finger gently moved down her spine and her back arched, the ticking sensation making her lose control of herself. He smiled behind her, satisfied, and pulled the two end of her bra back together and hooked them in place. She adjusted in front, and then turned around.

"Thank you, dear." She smiled and tilted her head at him, then fell backward on the bed, her arms above her head. She felt confident then, not very self conscious. She knew he was attracted to her, in a way she hadn't thought of before. The smooth skin of her torso stretched tightly over her bones. He tried to ignore the longing he had for her, the urge to run his hands over the entire length of her midsection, uninhibited by clothing. It reminded him of this morning, when Luke had asked him that question in the kitchen. No, more like _accused_ him of doing something.

"Can I be honest with you again?" he asked as he lay down next to her in an identical position, their sides touching. She joined their hands above their heads.

"Yeah, can you _always_ be honest with me?" she joked.

He laughed. "You know what I mean. Sometimes I wonder if other people really need to know everything I say."

"I wanna know _everything_ you know."

"OK." He paused for a second. "Remember this morning, when you asked me what Luke and I had had been laughing about?"

"Yeah," she said, eager to know.

"Well...I wasn't…really laughing. Well, I was, but I couldn't believe that Luke and Zelda …they thought something happened that really didn't."

Yo, what was with Link doing all this acting? First pretending to be asleep, then pretending to laugh. "Like what?"

"For some reason, they seem to think that I…we…um…you know…" He got up slightly, raising his head and looking into her eyes.

She laughed once, nervously. "Oh," she said, realizing what he was talking about. "Ooooh." She sat up to look at him. "Why…do they…think that? We're…not married yet!" She laughed nervously again. She was certain that her cheeks were turning colors again. Bright colors. She pulled her arms down over her abdomen, covering it.

"Because…last night, when we were in the kitchen, Zelda felt a lot of happiness, coming from me. I don't know _why_ she interpreted it that way, but…you know. And I suppose she told Luke. Actually, he was _probably_ the one who jumped to conclusions, now that I think of it."

"Oh." So that was what Zelda had meant when she'd continually asked her what she'd been doing up so late last night. IN THE KITCHEN? whywouldshethinksuchathing "So…he asked if…"

"He didn't ask _if_…" He grimaced.

"Then what did he ask?"

Link was silent, trying to figure out how to word it. His cheeks were definitely red.

"Oh. Did he ask you…what it was like?"

"No, no," he said, partly facetious and partly angry. "He already _knows_ the answer to that one. He was asking _how_ it was like."

"Oooh," she said, turning redder still and laughing nervously. She looked away. "And then what did you say?"

"I asked him what in _Hyrule_ he was talking about. Since the first thing that came out of his mouth was 'so how was it?'" He imitated Luke's voice.

"Naturally, you had no clue in _hell _what he was talking about."

"Naturally."

"So then?"

"Granice was standing right there, so he didn't exactly elaborate until she'd gone into the pantry. But I understood it by then. I told him the truth. And asked him where he got such a stupid idea. And he told me that Zelda felt it, and I realized that _none_ of us are really entitled to privacy with both Zelda and me around." He closed his eyes. Yep, welcome to Link's secretly awkward world where he knows _everything_ Zelda does at night if he's not sleeping.

"Is there any way you can block her out?"

"No, there's no way, that I know. She's in my soul. She's sleeping right now, though, so I don't feel anything but her being unconscious. The only thing that makes it stop is going far away from her and sleeping. It's not unbearable, though. I can forget about it after a while. Like breathing."

"So…"

"So then he thought I wasn't telling the truth. But I was."

"Obviously." Another nervous laugh.

"And then he told me, um...well, anyway, I nearly punched him again."_ Told me it was only a matter of time._

"You guys fight so much," she said, not wanting to know whatever Link couldn't say, her stomach flipping. She tried to keep her breathing even.

"I can't really help it. He can't either, I don't think. It's like there are two Lukes…the one who's responsible who can rule the country easily and likeably, but then there's his…"

"Your best friend side."

"Yeah." He laughed.

"You have a nosy and malicious best friend. Do you know that?"

"Well he's your friend too! And Zelda? Not that she _intends_ to be nosy…"

"But she knows _everything_. That's why I love her. But it's sorta clichéd, don't you think? The queen and king best friends with the Hero of Time…I kinda don't fit in there."

"You know how much I hate being considered such a…"

"High standing individual? Link, everyone _loves_ you. You did wonderful things. You saved everyone. _Deal_ with it."

"Meghan, that's the past now. I did what I had to do and that's all. Anyone could have been me."

"No, they couldn't. You don't realize it, but it's not a tiny thing. You're soo…" she sat up and look down on him. "I want to say powerful, but I think that's the wrong choice of word. Brave…capable…I don't know. Skilled, talented. You're what no one else is. And people can see that. But I think they can still relate to you, because you're so down to Earth. If you forgive the expression. _Down to Hyrule_." She laughed.

"How did we get on this topic?" he asked.

"Don't change the subject!" she laughed, even though she had changed _his_ subject (which had been making her feel strange). She moved toward him and they lay back. She put her head on his chest, and his arm moved around her. Her hand rested on his sternum, the silver ring on her finger gleaming in the candlelight.

"I'm so lucky to have you," she whispered, her warm breath dancing on his skin.

"Me too," he said.

They were silent for a second.

"I'm sorry, Link. I'm really sorry."

"For what?" he asked, surprised.

"For…hurting you! I'm so dumb…I'm so embarrassed when I think about what I did…why couldn't I have realized then? It's so stupid!" She buried her head in between his arm and chest, as though he wasn't the person she was apologizing to. He smelled so good…

She hadn't specified what she was talking about, but he knew instantly. "Meghan!" he said loudly, sitting up and displacing her. His sudden movement shocked her. His planted his hands firmly on her face, looking her straight in the eyes. "It's over. It's gone, and past. We went through it once, and now it's _out of our systems_. Please, stop telling me that. And if anyone should be sorry, it's—"

"Not you! Don't even _start_!"

"Look what I did to you!" he said, kicking himself internally again. "Look at how injured you've gotten. This is all because of me. Everything, and I'm always putting you in front of danger. You _cannot_ be sorrier about things than I am. You just can't. Because of me, you've nearly died. Of _course_ I was heartbroken when I thought you wanted to leave me, but I would survive as long as _you_ were _OK_. So _don't_ even say you're sorry."

Her eyes gazed through him with intense passion. He blinked, his hands slowly moving from her face. She watched him carefully waiting for his next move. He looked down, away from her.

"Link, don't blame yourself. Please, if you can do that for me, don't blame yourself. I want things to be this way. And sorry, but I just really _am_ sorry."

He looked back to her. He couldn't just stop blaming himself, but he'd try.

They were silent for a while.

"What are you thinking?" she asked emotively.

He looked back at her. She was dark as the moonless night, though she wore nothing but white. His temptation ran deep in his soul.

He smiled, breathtaking.

"Have you ever realized how utterly _indecent_ we are? We break every rule, tradition, formality…"

She wondered what inspired his train of thought. He looked away again, for just a second.

"No one even knows that we both live here, together, except Zelda and Luke. And I'm certain that if anyone knew how close we are, how close we've been, they'd fall over in shock. The indecency…"

"There's nothing wrong with it, to me anyway. This is how it works where I come from, except _maybe_ we're a bit young. You know that. We shouldn't care what other people think."

"But that's exactly my point." He took her hands, smiling as they both understood. "Everything, _everything_ in this world depends solely on you. The way it works, the way I do things, the way we are together, it's all because of you. Look what you've done to me; you've changed my world. Everything is as it is, and I _love_ it because I love you. Anything you want to do to this world, I will love because I love you. Beyond apologizing, beyond caring, this world is yours, my heart is yours, and your heart is mine. That's the way it is, and how it always shall be."

* * *

**~Lolz now for another one of my notes~**

**So you might have noticed, Meghan tends to be kinda badly affected by specific attacks on her. I like to think she's stable mentally, but she definitely has her limits. The first time she really experienced trauma (in ASW at the very beginning) she was not as badly affected, and perhaps that's because it was only the first really bad thing and it wasn't a deliberate attack on her, but as things went on, the girl could only handle sooooo much, you know? So then came the time that Rilba attacked her. I actually didn't even do it on purpose back then, but I guess I realized this girl has seriously got to be messed up in the head, so I added in some symptoms of Acute Stress Disorder. It just made sense. Now I've been taking some psych courses in college (not for my major) and I started to realize that she seriously would be at risk for suffering from PTSD. First from that attack by Rilba. If you think about it, the time when Meghan gets kinda detached from Link in the beginning of LWSD (Chapter 3: II: He'll Make Me Forget) is just around the one year anniversary of Rilba attacking her. Which I totally didn't do on purpose, but it is definitely common of PTSD sufferers to kinda "relapse" (not sure if that's the right term) around the anniversaries of the traumatic events.**

**Of course, it's not realistic for someone to experience dying and come back to life, so I can't actually look up what exactly would happen to someone after that, but I really suspect that it is quite traumatic (plus she got beat up, which is definitely something that leads to PTSD). So I was torn between adding in some parts where Meg has symptoms of PTSD and not doing it. Because realistically, I _don't_ think she would get away from that experience unscathed. At the same time, I'm trying to avoid being overly dramatic and I _definitely_ don't want to put it in just for the (:^O) factor. So…I guess the best thing to do it just explain _why_ I'm putting in these things, like the nightmares. It's because I'm trying to make this realistic! :D**

***panttiinnggg***

_**thanks for readdiinnggggg!**_


	25. Winter Dream

**Chapter XVIII – Winter Dream ("The Adventure" – Angels and Airwaves)**

* * *

**~Five months later—November~**

"OK, so tell me if this isn't the best idea ever." She stripped off her cami with her back to him and slipped on a bra and her shirt. She turned to face him, where he was sitting on the end of her bed.

"What is?"

"I had a dream last night…that also involved Frisbees and science experiments…but anyway, we were all on the field after we got married. We should get married on Hyrule Field!"

"I thought we were doing it in the throne room."

"So you don't like my idea?" she asked, squinting her eyes jokingly at him.

"No, I think it's a great idea, but we're changing it again? Won't it be very cold?"

"The throne room was never really our idea anyway. It was just sorta like whatever. It's not like we're royal or anything. We don't need to get married in the castle. And the field is so, so, so much more symbolic. And who cares about cold? I won't complain. And I'll be the one wearing the dress."

"It's not just royalty that gets married there. Everyone does."

"I know, Sheftali got married in the throne room!"

"And I don't want you to be cold! What if it snows?"

"Snow would look beautiful!"

"Are you sure? The field? In the snow? _Really_?"

"Yeah! Can't you imagine how gorgeous it will be? I mean, it might be harder work setting up outside, but _I'll_ do it if I have to! I _swear_!" She pulled off the pajama shorts. "Gosh, when are you guys going to invent cameras?" She really wished she could have a record that her wedding happened. Some impossible, deep thought was telling her she needed to have evidence of it, in case she ever had the chance to show her parents…but her rational mind knew it would never happen.

He laughed, standing and stretching. Pretending he wasn't really watching her pull off her clothes. Suave. "No, you don't have to do it. I think it's really a great idea, if it wasn't winter and cold. Not standard, but—"

"You said yourself that you were never one to follow traditions!"

"Exactly, but still, the weather…"

"Yay!" she squeaked, ignoring his concerns, running to him and hugging his bare chest. He was acutely aware of her lack of pants and the distinct presence of frilly white underwear. Ever since the day she found out she still bled, months ago, they'd been so much more comfortable with each other. And now, with their wedding little more than three weeks away, it seemed natural as ever. Though it still broke the rules of Hylian Decency. O, how decency crumbles!

The wedding was set for November 27th, two weeks after Link's nineteenth birthday. It was the fifth of November that day, and the preparations were speeding up. They were spending more and more of their days apart, which was sort of ironic since they were preparing to be together (officially and decently?) forever.

"What's on the agenda for today?" she inquired. She picked up her pants from the bed beside him and tugged them on.

"You know, wedding stuff." He grinned.

"Specifically?"

"I have a meeting with the dress maker today. I spoke to her yesterday and it is finished, but I have to look at it to see if any modifications need to be made."

She laughed. It was still slightly _ridiculously_ hilarious to her that he was in charge of her dress—her _wedding_ dress. And he seemed so into it. She walked over to get her brush from on top of her dresser and regarded him carefully through the mirror.

"You should probably try it on while you're there. You know, just to see if it suits you, too." She smirked.

He scowled playfully at her through the mirror and rushed forward to grab her around the waist energetically. She laughed, flailing her arms. "I didn't make up the rules!" he protested into her hair.

"I know!"

Link released her and stole the brush from her hand. He began to pull it through her hair, which was virtually tangle-free, but still had a few small knots. She closed her eyes as she felt the rhythmic tug against her hair. She loved when he touched her hair. He soon stopped, and she opened her eyes. They looked at each other through the mirror.

"What time do you have to be there?"

"Eleven," he responded.

They both glanced at the clock on the wall beside the mirror.

"You'd better go get dressed, my dear!"

It was slightly past ten.

"I know, I'm going."

He went to get his clothes from the dressing room through her bathroom. She sat on a chair as she waited for him, wondering what to do with herself today. She didn't think she had anything to do. Link's clothes were already ready and everything. She guessed she should tell everyone involved that they were changing the location. Again. Originally, they had very _tentative_ plans to hold it in the Temple of Time, but that seemed too solemn and important to hold their joyous wedding, even if it was a gorgeous location. As a fall back, they were going to wed in the throne room, where so many people had gotten married, but it never felt right to Meghan.

"Do you have anything to do today?" he asked, coming into view in the doorway of the bathroom with only pants on.

"Not really," she said.

He pulled on a white shirt. "Well, as soon as I'm done, I'll find you." He pulled on a blue tunic. "We'll go somewhere."

Meghan smiled. "Oh, like a date?" she teased.

"Yes? Am I not allowed to go to lunch with my betrothed?"

"Um…I don't know, you'd better ask whoever's marrying us."

"I believe Rauru has that express power." Rauru was the closest thing they had to a holy man. He would make an appearance for the Hero of Time. He wanted to.

"I guess I'll see you then," she murmured, playing with her hair, daydreaming.

"Good!" he said, walking over to take her hand.

"I have to get Liam some food," she said, looking at her huge dog lying near the door with his head on his paws. His eyes perked up to them at the mention of his name, but otherwise, he didn't move.

"OK," Link said.

"Come on, Limie! Come on, boy!" she said enthusiastically at him, patting her thigh with her free hand and bending her knees slightly to be more level with Liam. Liam's head lifted, but he just stared at her.

"I swear, he's getting lazier every day!" she laughed. Link chuckled. So much for guard dog! "Come _on_!"

Liam finally got out of the way of the door, and Meghan crouched down to get his food bowl. Liam followed at Meghan's side out the door, stopping to stretch for a moment. They took a quick trip to the kitchen and got Liam's food.

Granice cooed at Liam; she loved the dog. She was worried, however, because Meghan and Link hadn't yet eaten but insisted they didn't have time to. She forced rolls of bread smeared with berry preserves into their hands and they thanked her and left.

Meghan took a bite on the short walk back to her room, and was super glad that Granice had forced it upon them—the fresh-baked bread was absolutely delicious and the berries sweet and divine. It was weird to think that she might not be living here anymore soon. She'd love to live alone with Link, but she'd definitely grown attached to her lovely castle suite and the ever-available food supply.

They deposited Liam and his food in her room. Liam ate quickly, finishing nearly all of his food before he decided he was done. Meghan hooked his leash on his collar and they left again, headed for the enigmatic dressmaker's shop, where Meghan was never allowed past the small front room, and even when she had to try on an example dress for size, she wasn't allowed to even go _near_ the back room, where the seamstresses' workroom and creations were.

She stopped at the door and squeezed Link's hand tight. He leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek, and then he smiled and opened the door. The stout, middle-aged seamstress puckered her lips at Meghan when she saw them in the doorway and shooed her away. They laughed and he shut the door quietly, gently leaving her alone in the central square of Hyrule Castle Town.

She sighed, staring at the bright sign that said "Anais's Tailoring and Dressmaking" in foreign Hylian characters. Meghan led Liam out to Hyrule Field, where she unleashed him. He bounced away from her, suddenly full of energy.

They went straight to Lon Lon and Meghan took Galaxy out of the paddock. She secured his tack on and mounted him.

She had nothing to do then but ride. She tried to think of anything she could do without Link, or that she absolutely had to do without him. But she could think of nothing. Except…she had to find him a birthday gift. But she didn't know what, yet, so she couldn't do anything about it. She'd always been terrible at thinking of gifts for people…which made her feel bad because she'd gotten her crazy share of fantastic gifts.

Eventually she dismounted, not far from the stone wall, because her face was growing cold and she was sniffling. She let Galaxy and Liam go freely and sat down in the soft grass, atop the gentle hill. She could see most of Hyrule Field in the direction she faced because of her elevation.

Liam came and stuck his face in hers. When she sat down, he was taller than she was. She laughed and pushed him away, forcing his butt down so he would sit by her on the grass. He settled down, his head alert. Galaxy grazed nearby. Meghan threw her arms around Liam for warmth.

The ground was cold, since it was November, but it hadn't yet snowed this year and her cloak gracefully shielded her bottom from the cold. Meghan understood that this was strange. It nearly always started snowing by the end of October, just as the weather was typically warmer earlier than it was on Earth. May in Hyrule was considered summer, just as November in Hyrule was considered winter.

As she carefully stroked Liam's fur, she became lost in her ponderings. She began to imagine her wedding, right near where she sat. She imagined being beautiful in her dress, however it looked. Link stood before her, beside her in white, his beautiful face content and excited as they exchanged words of promise and eternity.

_Eternity_.

It was a twist on what had once been her favorite word, her favorite concept. And also the daunting concept of what pain and suffering she once believed she was going through, and _going_ to go through her entire life. But now it was taking on such a different meaning, one of eternal love, not pain. It brought hope now. Link had even engraved the words "_eternal love_" on her sword, something that meant more to her than he probably realized. The concept of pain was a million miles behind her.

She saw a flicker of movement from the corner of her eye. She looked towards the drawbridge leading into town. A man on a horse was coming out. But he didn't go in any direction she expected. He was not leading his horse to Lon Lon, nor going to Kakariko, or even to Lake Hylia. He was moving to her left, towards the woods and the direction of the Unicorn Fountain. She squinted, trying to see if she knew the person. She was fairly certain it was one of the carpenters.

_Maybe he's getting wood…or building something in the woods, _she thought. She didn't pay him much attention. She turned around, looking in the other direction. Liam suddenly stood up, reaching his nose out to sniff something in the air. Meghan turned to see.

She recognized him even from her brief glance at the great distance. He was on Epona, going the same direction as the carpenter had been going, very fast. She stood up, wondering if he noticed her.

He kept going for a couple of seconds, but then he turned his head. She knew he saw her then.

He turned Epona and headed her way. Liam ran to greet him, running alongside Epona. He was smiling as he approached, looking breathtaking and valiant atop his steed (as always). She noticed the carpenter pause and turn around, as if looking for someone. He settled on Link's direction, then started moving away again.

"So this is where you were," he said nonchalantly, dismounting when he was near her.

"Yup. Where were you going?"

"I was looking for you."

"Over there?" She looked in the direction he'd originally been going and raised an eyebrow.

"No, I just thought I saw someone over there, and then I saw you here."

"Oh, yeah, it was one of the carpenters. I don't know which one, I never remember who's who."

"Oh, really?" he asked, his voice higher than it should have been. "I wonder what he was doing over there."

"Maybe he's building something over there."

"Maybe, I don't know," he said loudly. "I don't think he'd be building anything that way. It's all woods and trees."

"Maybe someone wants to live in the trees, ever think of that?" she said with a smile.

"Maybe," he said, looking away. He glanced sideways at her. "I used to live _in_ a tree. Would you ever want to live in the trees?" He laughed.

"It's not a bad idea, away from everything. Being secluded and stuff might be nice. I wouldn't have minded living in the Kokiri Forest. That reminds me…you haven't heard anything from the family selling their house in town? I want to see it, if it's an option for somewhere to live!" She took Galaxy's reigns and Link took Epona's. They started walking towards Kakariko.

"Oh, no, I haven't. I'm sure they'll say something soon. I'm sure there are other options as well."

"Oh, OK. Well, can we just go see the outside?"

"I don't exactly know where it is…" he said feebly. "I just heard them speak about it."

"Oh," she said, not entirely believing him.

They walked in silence for a bit.

"So what's the place where our honeymoon is like?"

He laughed. "Don't even try, Megs. I told you that it's a secret. I'm not going to tell you where it is."

"Oh, come on! I'm so excited!"

"I hope you'll like it. Please don't think about it now."

"Fine." She sighed. "Then what do you want for your birthday?"

"Oh! I totally forgot. Time has been passing so quickly, it seems."

"Stop evading the question. What do you want?"

"I haven't thought about it! Honestly!"

"OK, please start thinking."

He smirked. "For you, I'd think about anything."

"I'm sure you would," she joked. They laughed.

He brought her to a tiny restaurant in the Kakariko, next to the inn. It was cute and they ate a good, perfectly sized meal.

"Hey Link, if we ever get our own house, we're going to have to actually like cook, and clean, and everything." She set down her fork; suddenly the prospect of living alone, with him, became extremely daunting. They'd have to actually take care of buying food, take care of the house…

"I know. But don't worry, I always had to clean my own house as a kid, so I've got that covered." He was joking.

She laughed. "You know, Link, I had to clean my room too when I lived with my parents. I _can_ clean, honestly. I know how to cook. I wasn't a spoiled brat until I moved here."

"You're still not a spoiled brat!"

She grimaced. The way they always got food from Granice? The castle laundry service? If that wasn't _spoiled as hell_, she didn't know what was. "Yeah, I am."

* * *

The next morning, Link had another appointment for something to do with the wedding. Today, it was her bouquet arrangement.

"_Seriously_?" she asked when he woke up and got out of bed.

"Yeah," he said, stretching in the cold air. She fell back down on the bed, the covers tight around her.

"You really have to go back like three times to get a bunch of flowers together?"

"The first time I had to tell them what I wanted. Last time it wasn't quite what I wanted, so they said they'd try a new thing."

"You know, I like all flowers. It's not a big deal. Really." She couldn't imagine him turning someone's creation down, anyway. It wasn't like him…unless he was becoming the Fabulous Wedding Planner Extraordinaire…which it seemed like he _was_ becoming…which was slightly scary.

"It is to me."

"Are you, like, making me into your perfect vision?" She squinted her eyes as she traced the figure of a girl in the air with her hands.

"No, I'm making sure you stay who you are."

"OK," she said flippantly, closing her eyes and turning on her side. He laughed and left to change. She didn't know what time it was, but soon she was drifting between consciousness and dreams.

A few minutes later, he came back to her, fully dressed. He leaned over her and pushed her hair back from her face, stroking her cheek.

"I'll be back soon," he said softly, bending to kiss her forehead.

"No," she said groggily. "Don't leave me." She frowned.

He sighed. He lay down facing her, atop the blanket, his hand still on her face. "I have to go, love. I promise, when all this is done then we'll have every moment to ourselves. And you'll thank me for making this perfect. I want it to be perfect."

"You don't have to try so hard. The fact that you're going to _be_ there makes it perfect. But when you leave, life gains a…palpable mediocrity."

"I know, _believe me_, I know. But if you let me go, I swear you'll not regret it. You'll love it. I promise. It's worth it."

"But they're just flowers, Link! I love flowers and all, but seriously, are you really going there _again_?"

"Yes, I am. Do you want to come with me? I'll wait for you to get dressed."

There was a sort of nervous look about him.

"No…I don't want to get up," she said lazily.

He looked relieved. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." She scrunched her face at him.

"Don't be angry, Meghan!"

"I'm not angry! Well, not at you, anyway. I'm just angry with the process, you know? So go, and I'll see you later."

"All right…"

He hesitated, and then moved forward to kiss her. Then he got up and eventually left, after turning back to her a million times.

Just as she heard him shut the door, Liam jumped onto her empty bed, his drooling mouth resting on Link's pillow. She laughed, patting him.

"Yeah, that's right, you drool _all you want_ on that liar's pillow. I know he's up to something, and I'll probably _love_ it, but…ugh. He's a _horrible_ liar."

She fell back asleep and had a very abstract dream about wearing a constricting, hideous and poorly tailored white dress in an endless sandy room.

When she woke up, she had an idea. She pushed off the covers unwillingly and faced the cold, wintry room, quickly changing into pants and a sweater. She seated herself at her piano, determined to write a song about him. It'd been a while since she'd written any songs, but she always found it easy to write when she was experiencing intense emotions. And when she stopped thinking about how alone she felt when he was off wedding planning, all she could think about was how much she loved him and how perfect everything was turning out.

It would be perfect as soon as he was all hers again.

The piano part was simple at first, sweet and endearing, but soon it turned into a monstrosity of chords and arpeggios. A good monstrosity. Very clever. And she was sure he'd like it. Now all she needed were words.

She opened her mouth to sing, her voice crackly in the morning. She let the words flow out, committing them to memory as best she could. There was an idea for a chorus, and she got up to write it down before she forgot. Then she sat at her desk, letting words flow from her hand in no order whatsoever. She'd organize it later. Right now, she needed raw emotion.

Soon the piece had structure, and Meghan was happy with what she'd done so far. She decided to put it away before it started sounding forced and work on it again later. She hid the lyrics and notes in an English book of essays about the relationship between the society and economics of Hyrule.

* * *

The next few days passed with much the same procedure. He would go somewhere in the morning, she would dwell by herself and ponder a gift to get him for his nineteenth birthday while practicing and honing her song at the piano, then he'd come back and they'd have the rest of the day together. She started thinking of only three things every day: what she'd get him for his birthday, what she imagined her dress would look like, and what would happen after they were finally married. She found it impossible to think of much else.

The Wednesday before his birthday, Link and Meghan were talking to Zelda and Luke in between their daily meetings with Hylians.

"Meghan, you do realize it's really cold outside, right? A wedding dress can't be that warm," Luke said.

"I really, really had this vision of having it outside!" She giggled. "It would be even nicer if it snowed! Don't you guys think it'd be pretty?"

Her young age was showing…

"Of course it's 'pretty,' Giggles, but not practical." Luke's newest nickname for Meghan was Giggles because she seemed to giggle about everything lately.

"Luke, for the last time, you're not her father. The only reason I'm letting you give her away is because you're the closest thing she has to a brother. Not a father. If she wants it in the field, then she'll have it there." He shielded Meghan from Luke playfully.

"I get it, Link! But why so serious? I might have to rethink it, truly, giving her away to you…" He pulled Meghan behind himself and pretended to be shielding her from Link.

Meghan and Zelda giggled at the two. It was always comical to see the contrast between Link and Luke, the difference between serious and hilarious. Link was typically a hilarious person, but next to Luke, he always assumed the role of a more serious person for comedic reasons. And Luke also did irritate him most days. In a friendly, brotherly way.

"Link? Meghan? Zelda and Luke? You appear to have a visitor, from Orda village," said a guard who approached them. Link's face lit up immediately, knowing who it was.

"She's here!" Meghan said, smiling and excited as well.

"She waits in the throne room," he said.

"Thank you, sir," Zelda said, and they all raced down the halls until they reached the throne room, which Zelda had transformed into a sitting room for everyone, not just for royalty.

Link pushed open the door, trying to find her in the huge room. She was in the corner, looking about nervously, wringing her hands together in front of her.

"Sierace!" Link called, going to her.

"Oh, Link!" she laughed, the nerves leaving her face. She ran to them and embraced Link, Meghan, and Zelda in turn.

"Sierace, this is my husband Luke," Zelda said, introducing the two. "Luke, this is Sierace, and as you know, she's a very old friend of mine."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, and you are very welcome to…the mainland, if you will." He took her hand in both of his. She looked away shyly.

"It's an honor," she said in her trilling voice. She smiled at Link. "I still can't believe you! How can you be getting married so soon? You're six years younger than I! And you," she said, turning to Meghan. "I will be so happy to have you as part of our tiny family! If nothing else, we are certainly close-knit!"

Meghan giggled, unsure of what to say. Herself included, the family of Navies/Quinoas would grow to the _astonishing_ number of _three_ members. Still, it felt like such an honor.

"Sierace, I'm really glad you came. I know it was difficult for you," Link said.

She still had a slightly nervous look about her. "It's hard for me," she whispered, looking at Zelda. "But I wouldn't miss this for anything!"

By then, all four of them knew the injustice that Sierace has been served. Her family had been accused of being traitors in the Great War just before Link and Zelda's births. But it'd been an outrageously untrue accusation for which most of Sierace's family paid the ultimate price. Even more unjust, years later, after Sierace escaped her family's fate, she was discovered and captured even at the tiny age of eleven. Zelda found her then, and along with Impa, saved her by sending her off to the tiny village way outside of Hyrule with another family (the Masitimas, who were young then) and there she remained her whole life. Until today.

"Don't worry, Sierace. The horrors of the past have been buried and forgotten. No one and nothing will harm you now."

"Thank you, Zelda," Sierace said, lowering her head in gratitude. "I owe you everything."

"Come," said Zelda with a smile, taking one of Sierace's bags from the corner. "We will show you to your rooms!"

They all smiled and Link and Luke picked up the other two bags, and Luke stole the one from Zelda's capable arms. She scowled playfully at him, then turned and started walking. Link walked alongside Sierace, asking her questions about the village and the people there. They looked like siblings and it nearly brought tears to Meghan's eyes seeing them together again.

"Sierace, is Erol and his family in Kakariko now?" Meghan asked. "I want to see them!"

"Yes, and they said they would arrive here in a matter of hours. They were visiting old friends."

"I can't wait!"

* * *

Later, Meghan finally had the chance to meet the entire family. She'd only met Erol and his mother, but now his ten-year-old twin sisters, Celia and Lacie, and his father stood before her. She hugged Erol tightly, asking him how he was.

When Ganon had been changing him into a human as well, it hadn't worked as well or as fast, so his changes weren't as extreme as Meghan's. If he was wounded, the seluric material would clot, but not as quickly as anyone else's, creating a pinkish tint in his cuts that would eventually heal over perfectly like any other Hylian's.

He'd grown slightly since she saw him last. He was definitely taller by an inch or two, and slightly more muscular. His skin was tanned by the sun, giving him a warm color and making him look slightly older.

He introduced them politely to his family, especially his sisters. They smiled and giggled to each other when Meghan greeted them. When the group went to eat dinner, the girls trailed behind everyone else, talking to each other quietly and holding hands, awed by the giant castle, which they'd never seen. They'd never seen anything close to it, even, and just little old Kakariko had amazed them.

Meghan hadn't been listening to exactly what they were saying, but she overheard a small bit, "She's getting married! That's so sweet…I want to get married!"

"I wonder what her dress looks like! I want to get married!"

"I'm going to get married first!"

"No! I am!"

Meghan laughed, not knowing how Link's sentence had finished. She gave him a meaningful glance to see if he'd heard them too. He had, and he chuckled quietly.

"Mr. Masitima, how has your farm been? Have you rebuilt well?" Link asked in Hylian.

"Yes, we cultivated our land once again, just in time for the autumn harvest to be grown. Erol and I finished up everything about a week ago."

"How has the town been? Has everything been rebuilt?"

"The majority, yes. Many houses were salvageable, so many could just fix up what they had. Unfortunately, ours wasn't so intact, but we've done the best we can."

"Everything is fine, Papa! We love our new house!" one of the twins said. Meghan smiled.

"As always, you know that if anyone from the village needs anything, all you need to do is ask. We will provide anything," Zelda told them.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. We appreciate everything that has been done for our village."

"Please, if you wish, I insist that you call us by our names…" Zelda said sweetly.

"They like to be called 'Zelda ' and 'Luke,'" Erol told his parents matter-of-factly.

Meghan tried not to burst into laughter. If only she had a dollar for every time Zelda had insisted the very same thing…well, she'd be able to buy a lot of chocolate. And for every time whoever she was speaking with looked confused and embarrassed to do so for the first time.

"If you wish…" he said hesitantly.

"Thank you!" Zelda said emphatically.

* * *

"Are you happy to have Sierace here?" Meghan asked as she climbed into her bed. They'd just left her company for the night.

"Of course I am," Link said, sitting on the other side, smiling. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I'm happy too. For you. I mean…I guess, when we met, you'd never known what it's like to have family too much, right? But then you found Sierace and you finally did. And then there's me—"

"You're the most important family I have, Megs."

"—and now it's like, family galore! OK, not really, but…"

"Are you trying to say something?"

"Yeah." She stopped.

"What is it?" he questioned after a second.

She looked at him, taking a breath, her lips parted. "I wish my parents could be here. I wish I could see them for even a second. Goddesses know I've taken them for granted, my entire life, and when it really matters, I can't have them." Tears glistened in her eyes and she remembered her parents. Sure, they had their quirks and flaws, but she'd prefer that to never having them. "And then I think about you and…and…well, I don't want to make you sad."

"No, continue what you were saying. I'm fine."

"I think I've always been selfish. Because even if they won't always be in my life, I at least knew what it was like to have them, and I just feel so selfish because I wish you could know how it feels too! I want to share them with you, but they're not even here to do that! So I'm sorry..."

"Meghan, don't feel sorry for me. I can't miss what I never had. Of course I wish things were different, but it doesn't bother me as much as you seem to think it does. I also wish your parents were here. I wish I could ask them rightfully to give you to me. But we can't regret what we can't change, right?"

She nodded. "I know…"

He looked straight into her eyes and placed his hand over hers on the bed. "You miss them?" he asked, his voice loving.

She nodded, biting her lip. "Every day," she murmured as her voice cracked. She had a few tears in her eyes. Her mouth opened, as though she was going to say something, then closed again. Then opened. "But that's OK," she spoke more strongly, though her voice was a bit high. "Because every day I can't be with them, I'm with you, and I can't live without you. It's a well tested law of my life."

He smiled and reached out to touch her face, his fingers moving down her smooth skin.

"I know," he said in a low voice. "They'll be with us in spirit. Assuming, of course, their spirits like me."

"Link, they'd love you."

"I don't know; I can be scary."

She wasn't sure if he was joking or not. His face was neutral. Maybe it was a bit of both. "No! Not at all! You're _everything_ a parent would want for their girl! Smart, strong, protecting, caring, servile, slightly sycophantic…" She giggled.

"Slightly sycophantic?" He smiled widely.

"Yeah, you know…you know?"

"I know what it means, Megs, but do you really think of me that way?" he asked, moving mischievously closer to her.

"I was kidding!" she yelled, giggling.

"Tell me to do something," he murmured, his fingers tracing down her arm.

"Ahhh…uh, I dunno, stand up! Do ten push-ups."

He smiled, even more roguishly, wrapping his arms around her. He brought his face to hers and whispered in her ear, "_No_."

"Aw, come on!" she laughed, secretly wanting to watch those ripples of muscle do some work. Her stomach flipped when she thought about how close he was to her, protecting her body with his capable, powerful one. He was silent, relaxing while half on top of her, smiling. Not letting her go. She sighed, putting her arms around him.

_Bliss_.

* * *

**As I was reading this over, I thought I realized an inconsistency between LWSD and ASW. In the rewrite of ASW, it is mentioned that Meghan tells Link that she can tan in the sun, but Hylians are not capable of this. But in this chapter, it is mentioned that Erol tans. So then I freaked out and thought I had to decide-take out the "Hylians don't tan" or the "Erol got tan?"And then I realized it actually works this way. Because Erol is part human now, so he can tan! I just wanted to point that out...not that I think anyone is crazy like me and noticed. XD**

**Thanks for reading!**


	26. Zhu Ni Shengri Kuaile 祝你生日快乐！！

******Chapter XVIII Part II – Zhu Ni Shengri Kuaile (Can't really decide on a song...but try "Running" by No Doubt!)**

* * *

**~Three days later…~**

He knew something was going to happen. Every year, every birthday they would try to outsmart each other. Up the ante. Increase the surprise factor.

The problem was…what would she do this time? And how could he thwart her plans? His internal alarm clock woke him way too early. The sun was just barely rising and Meghan was too obviously sleeping where he held her tightly in his arms.

_Ha_, he thought. _Try to get out of this without waking me!_

His head fell back down to the pillow, his nose close to her hair. He inhaled her flowery scent, which soothed him back into sleep. He woke again about an hour later, but she was still there. They'd both moved, though, so he was no longer trapping her. He shifted and draped his arm over her waist, heavy with sleep. She wiggled slightly, trying to get up.

"You're not going anywhere," he said tiredly, barely conscious enough to remember why he couldn't let her go. He held her tight, breathing deeply.

"I have to go to the bathroom," she mumbled, pulling at him.

"No, you don't…"

He smiled, his eyes closed, his muscled arms forming a trap about her.

"Let _go_, I actually have to go, you jerk." She pushed his arms violently, getting up in an irritated manner. Her body crackled as she stretched. She turned back and whispered, "Go to sleep."

The next time the subconscious sleep timer went off in his head, she was gone. He sat up quickly and checked the clock. 8:32? This was way too early for her. How'd she leave without his noticing? That gal was becoming _sneaky_!

He yawned and jumped out of bed, opening the door to the bedroom into the living room.

She was nowhere to be found. The door to the bathroom was even wide open, and Liam wasn't anywhere either.

He groaned. She probably didn't expect him to be awake. Or maybe she did and this was some sort of trick. Maybe he was supposed to go find her.

He sighed and changed into real clothes. He could tell Zelda wasn't in her room, but she wasn't too far away. He followed his senses to her. She and Luke were in Luke's office. The door was opened slightly so he pushed it open more.

"Ah! Link!"

"Link! Happy birthday, dear!" Zelda said, jumping down from where she sat on Luke's desk. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, rocking him gently. Luke stood up too and went to clap him on the back.

"Thank you," Link said as Zelda moved back. She stared at him with a huge smile on her face. Luke glanced at her.

"Hey…um…do you know where Meghan is?"

"Who?" Luke asked. "Oh, Meghan? No, no."

"Luke, you do know—"

"Actually, Luke dear, I saw her go outside," Zelda said as she turned to Luke.

"Did you now, my love? Clearly, I seem to have missed that crucial detail!"

Link couldn't help but smile. Why were they so cruel?

"Could you tell me where exactly?" Link asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Sorry, I just _couldn't_!" Zelda said.

"Wait, Zelda, dearest! I seem to recall something!" He staggered about.

"Oh, dear? What is it?" She went to catch him.

"She said…she said…" he dramatically put his hand on his head. "No, I lost it."

"Luke!" Link yelled, smiling.

"But I do have my friend's birthday gift around here somewhere!"

Zelda batted his hands down. "Later, dear!"

"You're right, dear! Where has my brain gone?"

Link was starting to realize they weren't going to say much.

"Thanks, I guess I'll just go look for her. Goodbye." He turned to leave.

"Wait! Goddesses, yes, I remember!" Zelda said.

"Sure, sure!" Luke exclaimed. "I do remember that hint."

"She said to follow the candles. There should be…nineteen of them!"

Link laughed.

"That-a-way!" Luke pointed to the left. "Just keep walking. You'll find it."

Link waved goodbye and followed Luke's directions. "Keep going…keep going…" Luke chanted as Link moved farther away from him.

The hall was one of the longest in the castle. Along it were many offices like Luke's, and in the middle, the throne room. He glanced in habitually as he passed the wide doors, but the giant room seemed empty. It was early yet.

He kept walking, passing a flight of stairs that was another route to Meghan's room. Still, he didn't find any candles. But a second later, he became aware of a tiny flickering down the hall. He walked quicker towards it.

There, in the middle of the stone floor in the corridor, was a tall, golden candle. Propped against the candle's holder was a folded piece of paper with a curly "L" written on its front. He broke open the (superfluous) wax seal.

"_Good morning my love! Or at least, I'm hoping it's morning when you read this! If you __are__ reading this, then I suppose Luke and Zelda filled you in on your directions! You must follow these candles. Please read each note, as they will detail the directions in which you must go. They will provide clues as to where I am. I love you! By the way, turn right down the next hallway_!"

He laughed. So this was it? He had to find her. Well this was certainly different than their previous surprises. He'd have to be creative next year.

He found the next golden candle.

"_So I was totally stumped about what to get you. I really stink at thinking of presents, have you noticed? I'm hoping this idea is just random and surprising enough to make up for my gift. Go right again_!"

And the next: "_Maybe I should tell you a story. Go up the stairs ahead_!"

"_Anyway, about that story. I'm not quite sure exactly which story to tell you. There are so many. Left._"

"_Oh! I thought of one! Once upon a time, I met you. And then I loved you. You were only seventeen then! But now, you're nineteen. Weird, right? Time has flown by like crazy! Keep going straight, please!_"

"_Liam is coming with me on this fine morning. You could probably follow his trail of fur just as effectively as these candles…but I figured candles would be more romantic._"

He was nearly doubled over in laughter at each note. Simple as they were, they were so thoughtful and personal. He loved this, and he didn't care if he got nothing else. Soon, he'd find her.

The notes and candles continued on, leading around a few halls on the upper level before sending him back downstairs, a hallway over from where he'd started. He'd taken each note with him, grasped securely in his right hand. There were only a few left, and he was eager to find Meghan.

"_Once you find out where I am, you won't find me right away, still. (Or maybe you will, I don't know.) I want to write some cryptic riddle or something, but I honestly can't think of one that won't sound utterly stupid. Soooo…here is my hint: Behind and beside the giant edifice of wood, you will find checkered ground. Aaaanddd…go left here_!"

_The edifice of wood? _he thought. _Checkered ground? _But then, he supposed he would find out soon enough. He knew that if he turned left here, it would lead him to the back foyer, which in turn would lead out into the grounds behind the castle. The stables and the pond…wait.

The stables were wooden. Could that be what she meant? He still hadn't figured out what checkered ground was, but he'd look behind and beside the stables, code for what he thought meant diagonal from them. And probably diagonally to the right, since to the left, there would be the horses' paddocks. Though maybe she did want him there? Would something to do with checkered ground have to do with horses?

"_I don't know if you know this, but an edifice is a fancy word for building. If you did know that, then I apologize for making assumptions. If I was right, though, I'm thinking I know you pretty well! Go strrrraiight_!"

And the last candle was flickering in the small, chilled breeze.

"_Dearest Link,_

_I apologize for putting you through this trouble. I hope you didn't mind! I had fun making this trail for you, with all the unnecessary twists and turns. Sometimes it was a little hard to express what I meant and felt, but I hope you know this: I love you for everything you have done for me, and I am eternally thankful. I only wish that I can somehow repay you, and though this tiny journey may not have done the trick, I'm hoping my eternal love somehow will. I love you, and oh, by the way, __**HAPPY BIRTHDAY**__! Love, Megs_.

_PS-Sorry, man, I know I'm being super squishy mushy lovey dovey but I'm like totally serious. This sounds so corny-cliché-doopy. Maybe not to you. But in America, it would be."_

The words "happy birthday" were scrawled across the paper in giant, thick letters. He smiled.

He walked forward, the slight hill before him obstructing his view of anything the left of the field behind the castle.

The air was cold, but he wasn't cold himself. A very gentle breeze tickled his face as he came to the tiny point of the hill, and saw what he'd been looking for.

She was sitting on something large and reddish-pink, with Liam at her side. Her cloak was draped over her body so only her face was visible, but she held something white and rectangular in her hands, resting on her lap. He couldn't see too many details.

As he drew closer, he realized her eyes were closed, and that the thing she sat on was a blanket with the pattern of a red and white checker board across it. The object in her hands seemed to have a pattern on it, maybe even words? Liam was stepping impatiently in his place, but Meghan commanded him to stay.

He was only a few feet away then, and he read what it said.

"Happy Birthday, Link." In Hylian.

When he was at the edge of the blanket, her eyes slowly opened. Her cheeks were pink with the cold, and she smiled at him. He was trying to figure out what everything was, so his mouth just hung open slightly.

"Good morning, Link," she said in a clear voice that rose like bells over the mostly silent morning. His heart melted away, despite the cold. "And Happy Birthday."

At the moment, Liam couldn't contain himself any longer. He launched himself at Link, his tail wagging dangerously close to the thing in Meghan's hands. She gasped and moved it backwards just in time to prevent a blow to it. Liam jumped up to Link, his paws on his shoulders. Link laughed, nearly falling backward from Liam's weight and force. Link wanted to tell Liam good morning, as he was obviously first in line for this birthday greeting, but he knew Meghan deserved his first words. He smiled and pushed Liam down. Liam didn't need a second push, but he still pranced around Link excitedly.

Link moved his eyes back to Meghan's. She stared at him too, her grin mischievous.

"Thank you," he said, smiling.

She nodded.

She was certain that he wouldn't get the meaning of the red and white checked blanket, or the basket beside her packed with delicious brunch foods, and even the cake in her hands seemed foreign to him. But she'd explain in due time.

"Sit down!" she suggested.

"So what is all of this?" he asked, sitting cross-legged across from her on the blanket.

"Well, I'd call it a picnic. And this is a birthday cake."

"Oh!" he said. She'd told him of that one before. "Right, I understand now."

"All this fluffy, creamy stuff is called icing and it's reeeeally good. It's for you," she said, but then she beckoned to her side. "But put on your coat first. It's cold!"

"I'm fine," he said, but he put it on anyway.

"Now, here."

He received the cake. It was heavier than it looked, but it was small, not larger than both his hand put together. There were miniature candles sticking out from it.

"What do I do?"

"I get to sing to you! The…uh, traditional birthday song from America." She grinned.

"OK," he said, ready to hear.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear Li-ink, happy birthday to you!"

He smiled. He'd expected something more complicated. She held up a finger, gesturing him to wait. Then she started the second verse.

"How old are you now? How old are you now? You smell like and monkey and you look like a cow!" She laughed. "Maybe it was 'you look like a monkey and smell like a cow…'"

He laughed.

"Wait! You gotta stop me when I get to the correct number! Are you one? Are you two? Are you three? Are you four? Are you five?" She continued on through the numbers, as he laughed hard. "Are you seventeen? Are you eighteen?"

He gestured for her to continue.

"Are you nineteen?"

"Yeah! I am." They both burst into a fit of laughter, Meghan falling over to the side with giggles.

"I thought…I thought it'd be a bit more serious than that! Are you serious?"

"Totally!" she said, looking up to the sky between laughs.

"And everyone does this? Does it continue up into older ages?"

"Oh, well, usually adults only sing the first verse. They're lame. Sometimes it's accompanied by a cha-cha-cha between lines. Which is the obnoxious thing to do. There's always _that_ person who does it." She paused. "I was never _that_ person."

He laughed still. "I like it. Especially the cow and monkey line."

She sat up with a huge smile on her lips. "I don't even remember if those are the right words. Now, you have to blow out the candles! Once I light them." As she lit them, she told him, "Now the rule is, you have to make a wish just before you blow them out! But you're not allowed to tell anyone what your wish is about at all, or it won't come true."

The candles were lit. There were only nine, since once again; putting nineteen candles on the tiny cake would be _really_ difficult and unnecessary.

"Ready?" she asked.

He thought for a second. "Yeah."

"Ok, now make your wish in your head! Then blow them out."

He was silent for a second, concentrating on the candles like a pro, and then blowing out enough air to get all the candles in one puff. He looked up at her.

"Great job! So now you have to cut it! It's traditional. And technically you'd eat the cake after the food, but I don't want it to get ruined, so we're eating it first! Cake for breakfast!" She seemed so excited about that.

She took a knife from the basket and two plates. He hesitated, and she laughed.

"I'm sorry, I'm not providing much direction, am I?"

"You've been misleading all morning, that's all."

He picked up the knife and she put her hand over his. She guided him to a cut about a third of the way over, which would make a normal sized piece on the cake, which was about the same area as a piece of paper. She slid the piece onto a plate, where it fell onto its frosted side and revealed the spongy, cakey, off-white inside. It was a very simple cake, but she'd tried a tiny piece before Granice iced it and it was truly delicious.

She handed him the piece.

"Birthday boy first, always."

He made a face. He cut another piece and handed it to her.

"Beautiful girl second…_only_ on my birthday."

She laughed, shaking her head.

"Try it!"

And he did. And of course, he loved it. It was so sweet and creamy; he could only imagine one thing sweeter than it. And that thing sat across from him, savoring her own piece of cake.

The cake was gone from both of their plates in a super short time. Meghan let Liam lick her plate, laughing at how eagerly his huge tongue pressed into the small plate. When they were done with the cake, Meghan started to show him all the brunch entrees she'd packed in the light brown basket.

"So this blanket is really symbolic, because for whatever reason, whenever you see a picnic in a movie or something iconic, it's always a red and white blanket underneath the people. And the food must come in a basket!" She pulled out their favorite breakfast dishes along with a few American things she'd made in the kitchen this morning or the day before.

They helped themselves to plates of food and lay on their stomachs on the blanket, in the chilly weather, and drank hot tea from a metal thermos-like container, laughing the entire time.

When they were done, they ended up lying on their stomachs facing each other.

"So…I have something for you."

"Thank you, but I don't want anything else. I'm full!" He was joking.

She laughed. "It's not food, silly. Just something I think you wanted. Come on, I'll show you." She stood up, bouncing to her feet. She reached out her hand for his.

"What about this stuff?" he asked

"I'll get it later. This is more important!"

He smiled, knowing he wouldn't win.

"OK." She led him towards the stables.

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**Argh, short. XD Not sure yet, but next chapter is possibly the last!  
**


	27. Pondering Upon Heartbeats

**Interlude – Pondering Upon the Closing of AV and SL Valves**

* * *

A heart beats.

Once.

Twice.

Alone.

Probably the last time she would ever be alone. She listened to her heart.

Three.

Four.

Everyone else waited outside for her. This was her last time, probably ever, to be so alone. It was a weird feeling. She knew the moment she walked out of that bathroom, life would sweep her up into a whirlwind of destiny. Of mayhem. Peace. Calm. And love.

Her eyes closed as she leaned against the closed door, counting her heartbeats. It was beating _way_ too quickly. Her breathing was deep and shallow at the same time. Her head spun beneath her flowing, wet hair, making her dizzy.

This was it.

And so it was.

Her eyes opened and she took in the gold-accented bathroom. Why was this so different? It shouldn't seem so. But it did. She didn't even know when she would be back here. It was almost like saying goodbye. She didn't even know the whole list of things she was saying goodbye to.

Nineteen, twenty. She turned and opened the door.

Smiling faces received her. Her friends in one place, but not all of them. Some of the ones she wished she had there _weren't_ there. Friends from another life, another time, another world. But this would do. This would do more than do. This was wonderful.

Saria had a tear in her eye. Meghan focused on her, silently asking her what was wrong. She smiled wider.

"It's nearly time," Zelda spoke quietly, her voice gentle. "From now on, life will move for you in a swift circle. Time will flow like a river in a strange way you haven't noticed before. Are you ready to receive this life?"

Meghan looked at her curiously. She knew things would change, but not so much that her life would be _that_ different. Marriage didn't seem like a step that was any more colossal than ones she'd already ascended. But she would take Zelda's word.

"Of course I'm ready."

* * *

**When it _really_ hit me that this story was almost done being posted, I got kinda sad. :( So, I decided that I'm going to stretch out the material that should really be just one chapter into a bazillion chapters. XD JK, but I don't really want it to end. XD Well actually, there's this short side story that I want to add to the end of this, but I haven't finished writing it quite yet, so I dunno when that will be.**

**Thanks for reading! :3 (shortest chapter yet. XD)**


	28. Love, Reign Over Me

**I believe this chapter is what some of you have been waiting for. : 3 I do love this chapter, actually… : 3**

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**Chapter XIX Part I – Love, Reign Over Me ("Love, Reign O'er Me" – The Who and "Svo Sljott" – Sigur Ros)**

* * *

An explosion of noise burst forth from her friends. She was barely able to stare at the dark wooden box lain hazardously on her bed, across the apartment. She knew what was contained within, and the thought both scared and excited her.

Nabooru and Zelda both swept her into the dressing room, and they were followed by her other friends. She sat obediently this time, for once _excited_ to be pampered, a stark contrast to the first time she'd been ushered into this room. Nabooru didn't seem to take as much joy out of obvious willingness to be cared for and was uncharacteristically quiet as she brushed out Meghan's long locks. Malon took on the task of her nails once again, painting them a neutral color. Sheftali and Zelda cooperatively worked on her face, adding slight color and definition to her features, highlighting her cheekbones with a pale red and darkening her eyes to make them seem larger.

She was in a near trance when she was informed that everyone was finished. How much time had passed? She couldn't tell whether she wanted it to go quickly, or slowly.

Zelda helped her out of the chair and pulled her by the hand into the living room.

"Now is the moment you've been waiting for! Are you ready to see it?"

"Zelda, I've _been_ ready! Even though I am a little scared now."

"Don't you worry. Those little murmurs of apprehension will be gone soon."

"I don't think it's really apprehension…" she said as they crossed into her bedroom and the box stood out before her like a cactus in a barren desert. For once the hordes of girls stayed back. It was only she and Zelda in the room. This was Zelda's job. She was acting as the liaison between Meghan and her fiancé.

"Perhaps you don't know what apprehension feels like," Zelda said cryptically.

Meghan laughed. The box was long and stained a deep, mahogany color. She could smell the wooden fragrance of it from where she stood, a few feet back.

"Here it is," Zelda said, her hands laid on the latches. She flicked the two open and lifted the lid. The hinges folded back a neat 180 degrees, revealing a bulk covered in a creamy piece of material. Zelda lifted back the material.

Meghan's eager body moved closer. Zelda pulled the dress out in a swift movement, the train flowing. She held it high so it wouldn't touch the ground, although it was difficult for her because she was shorter than Meghan.

Meghan was afraid to touch it. It was beautiful. The ivory skirt was a heap of tulle and draped satin, flowing down to the floor in a giant, elegant bunch. The top was a corset and embroidered in intertwining designs. Zelda turned it around so she could see the back, which laced up with a thick, luscious red satin ribbon. The ribbon flowed all the way down the dress to the end of the train, growing wider. The number mixed symmetry with irregularity, tradition with aberrance.

"Oh my goddesses."

Zelda smiled widely.

"It's…"

Absolutely perfect. She wanted to say the words, but she was literally speechless.

"Would you like to try it on?" Zelda hinted, seeing that Meghan was contented with just staring at it.

"Yes," she said, excited. What pure beauty!

"Close the door, all of you! You can't see her yet," Zelda said with a mischievous smile, keeping with Hylian tradition. No one should see her with the dress on, except Zelda and Luke, before the ceremony. Meghan didn't even think her friends were supposed to see the _dress_, but that was a part of tradition Meghan could certainly do without. There were a _lot_ of rules, if one wanted to do this perfectly, but fortunately she and Link didn't give a flying crap about half of them.

They fought Meghan into the dress. Zelda tightened the corset reasonably, then smoothed the tulle out so it flowed over onto the floor and beyond. Meghan couldn't help but stare at herself in the mirror. The way the dress flowed over her curves was lush. It was certainly cold, but that didn't bother her in the least. The way her hair had been pulled back, some waving slightly down her back, and her makeup, only added to the enchantment.

There was a knock from the front door. "That's Luke," Zelda said, smiling. She went to the dress's box and took the veil from it. "Come on." They opened the door to receive Luke, who was holding a small, old looking wooden box.

"Nice," he said, looking at her as she spun around for him to see the details. He held out a warm looking, matching off-white shawl and wrapped it around her bare shoulders.

"Thank you," she said, smiling. She couldn't help the smile.

The two of them faced her, looking like proud parents. Zelda took her hands, the veil draped over her arm. "There is one more thing," she said, smiling. She let go of Meghan's hands and opened the box Luke held. Inside, there was a silver tiara, encrusted with diamonds. It looked very antique and fragile, aged carefully and seemingly worn dutifully. It was both regal and gorgeous. "It is tradition to pass a wedding head piece down through a family, from mother to daughter. Since your mother is not here to pass one to you, I want you to wear mine for the day. This has been in our family for generations. I am proud to have you wear it."

"Zelda," Meghan sighed, watching Zelda place the headpiece on her head, fitting it snuggly in her hair. It was the same one Zelda herself had worn at her own wedding. This was one of those traditions that Meghan had thought she would do without, since it had seemed meaningless to get herself a headpiece. She was _overjoyed_ because she hadn't expected Zelda to share her own. And it had been worn by _princesses_. She swooned.

Zelda then draped the veil over Meghan's head. It flowed down, nearly to the floor, matching the lines of her dress.

"Now you are ready," Luke said, with a grin on his handsome face. He and Zelda were also dressed to the nines, all their tradition royal-wear adorned. Zelda's rarely-worn ornamental armor hung over the shoulders of her wintry red dress. Luke was dressed in a uniform of sorts, looking sharp and crisp. "Shall we, ladies?" He offered his arms to both of the girls and they both took one.

They led Meghan through to the back of the castle, where two horses waited attached to an elegant white carriage. The driver politely looked away as Meghan approached. Luke helped her climb into it as she clutched as much of the fabric as she could in her arm, attempting to not trip or soil the train. Zelda and Luke followed her inside, where it was slightly warmer. The carriage started, and Meghan had time to slow down and think.

Her heart pounded. She knew where she was going. She realized Link would be there waiting. Her stomach flipped. She was really about to do this! There was no apprehension in her body despite Zelda's words, that much was certain, but she was unbearably curious. What would happen once they were married? Would things change? Would they stay the same? Would _they_ change? Would her mindset about things change? She'd heard a million times, back in America, that "marriage takes a lot of work," but she couldn't imagine it being very different from where she was now. If she wasn't getting _freaking_ _married_ to him right now, they'd be together somewhere, doing something together. It really made no difference either, but maybe soon she would live in her own house with him.

And then she wondered what would happen when they were first alone. To her, no new doors would be open than before, but to the Hylian people, a whole world would be different. What would be expected of them? It was suddenly strange to think about.

Would…_he_ expect it?

_That_ made her nervous.

As her mind raced, the carriage flew over bumps and different ground until it started to slow to a stop. She hadn't been looking out the window, but she leaned forward and took a quick glance through it. She could see the castle, looming over Castle Town. She was on the field and that was a shock to her. Where had time gone? She was certain she couldn't be here yet.

"Are you ready?" Luke asked this time. Meghan looked at him, her eyes dark behind the veil. She felt absolutely ridiculous for a second. So she took a moment. _Was_ she ready? OK, OK_, hell_, no. She was afraid of what she'd see once she the door opened. What would be there? But yeah. _Yes_. Definitely.

"Yes," she said with force. "I am! For real."

He grinned again. "Well, then! Shall we?"

Before she could say anything else, he busted the door open, smiling widely at whoever was outside. He took Zelda's hand and helped her down from the coach. There was complete silence outside. It made Meghan wonder if anyone was there at all. Maybe no one had come. She inwardly laughed at that idea.

"Announcing Miss Meghan Black, daughter of Ray and Anna Black, to be presented by King Lukas Daphnes Nohansen Rinelo Hyrule."

That one made Meghan snigger. His name was so unnecessarily long! Luke shot her a playfully angry grin, then held out his hand. She carefully stepped, the train gathered in her arms once again. This was not the moment to trip and fall…

"I won't let you fall. Don't worry," Luke whispered. She passed through the door, her head bent. She was too nervous to look up.

* * *

He fidgeted in his white tuxedo, standing straight at the end of the very long aisle, rows of people between him and the carriage that had just rolled up. His sword hung ceremoniously at his side, but it felt unnaturally heavy. He wanted to be free of its constraints. He didn't want an _ounce_ of violence to even be _alluded_ to in this moment. He wanted purity, innocence, and most of all, peace. He regretted sticking to Hylian tradition _so_ much.

The door to the carriage opened suddenly, and he stood straighter still, his heart jumping into his throat. Luke jumped out, a wild smirk on his face, and he sent that smirk to Link for a second before turning back to the carriage. Link's heart started racing. Luke held his hand out…

…And down came Zelda, gracefully. She smiled at Luke, then directed her attention toward Link. Her heart expelled happiness. She was excited. Something great was going to happen. He could feel that. It nearly made him smile.

"Announcing Miss Meghan Black, daughter of Ray and Anna Black, to be presented by King Lukas Daphnes Nohansen Rinelo Hyrule," Zelda said in a clear, crisp voice across the cold winter field.

Cold.

Winter.

Field.

Ahh! What had he _done_? He totally designed the dress, but it had absolutely no way of keeping her _warm_. He started panicking. He couldn't allow her to be cold! He would give her his jacket when she got to him, even if it meant disrupting the ceremony or whatever. He shifted uncomfortably and impatiently in his place. _Why_ was he such a _fail_?

Both Zelda and Luke held out their hands. Finally…this had to be her. He couldn't wait any longer. A tuft of tulle became visible through the door opening, and suddenly an entire mass of white. She was so drowned in the downy whiteness that the only way he knew she was there at all was seeing her dark head, bent toward him. He wanted to see her face, to see something that would identify this figure as his Meghan.

She hopped lightly to the grass, letting her train fall behind her. There, now he could see her familiar body enveloped carefully in the dress. But still her head was bent as she carefully arranged the dress about herself for a few seconds. He nearly sighed with relief when he saw the shawl around her. It was as though she was purposely not looking up. It looked like she whispered something, and Zelda leaned in closer as if to hear what she was saying. He could feel waves of confusion rolling off of Zelda. She shook her head, distancing herself from Meghan. Meghan still didn't look. Luke said something to her, but she shook her head.

Zelda started walking down the aisle, spreading flowers with her magic. Everyone "oohed" and "ahhed" at the colorful winter display. It was nice to Link, but he was mostly trying to figure out why Meghan hadn't moved yet.

Finally, she looked up. He couldn't see her eyes well, but he knew she was looking directly at him.

* * *

**(Love Reign O'er Me—The Who)**

He was beautiful. After being so afraid, she now couldn't bear to look away. Luke took her nearly limp arm and looped it through his, ushering her forward. She was glad Zelda hadn't listened to her suggestion of blocking her view of Link. She couldn't look away now.

"Are you OK, Giggles?" Luke whispered. She nodded slightly. She was distracted.

Luke carefully guided her down the aisle after Zelda, some sort of music playing in the background, a red carpet below her feet. At the end of the aisle, on a dais covered by a giant piece of off-white, silky material, stood Link, Rauru, and now Zelda. Luke would stand opposite Zelda, and Meghan would stand opposite Link. A seasoned pair, and one about to be made. It was the Hylians' good luck.

Rauru began, in Hylian.

"There comes a time in almost every young person's life when he or she finds that she or he would like to spend eternity with one person. These two have found this desire and stand here today, asking the Goddesses to see them wed into happiness."

Meghan felt bad, but she was having a terribly hard time concentrating on Rauru's words. She only caught about half of what he said, both because he spoke quickly in her shaky second language, and because she was distracted by her own thoughts. She was staring at Link, his perfect skin on his perfect face, his happy eyes that seemed so different at this moment. Though his body was hidden in a perfectly fitting tux, she could imagine every muscle in his body bracing itself. _H__er_ body wanted to move closer to him.

He felt the same. Her veil hid her skin, but her eyes still smoldered through it and her full lips were so lush. The dress hugged her curves perfectly. Her hands clutched the air nervously. He could tell she was making an effort to not pull at the dress.

"If you wish to proceed, please step before me and the goddesses. Let them receive you two as one whole."

Both were all too eager to step closer so that they were in front of Rauru. They could see more details of each other. Meghan's hand itched to move toward his, but she didn't want to ruin this.

"Goddesses, receive these two beings. Create them again as a whole and keep them beneath your eyes. Have them as allies through life's struggles and partners through life's wonders. See them through to a rightful end and have them love nothing but their own love for all eternity. If you do not agree with this union, please speak now, Goddesses."

The world was dead silent. No creature made a noise throughout all of Hyrule. For seemingly unending seconds, they waited for the sign that would never come.

"We thank thee, goddesses, for thy approval. Now the approval of the trusted liaisons. Queen Zelda Azalea Daphnes Nohansen Rinelo Hyrule, dost thou approve of this union?"

"Yes, I do," said Zelda from somewhere behind Meghan. "I believe it to be the most wonderful of unions."

"Thank you. King Lukas Daphnes Nohansen Rinelo Hyrule, dost thou approve of this union?"

"Yes, I do as well. I believe it to be the most perfect of unions."

"Thank you. I send this word to the heavens. Receive it in good spirits. No soul can deny this wedlock. Now, we must agree to keep this bond pure. Please, join hands."

Meghan and Link quickly found each other's hands. Link held Meghan's cold hands tightly within his own.

"Link Aleron Navi, son of Aleron and Kalena Navi, Hero of Time, dost thou agree to keep this union pure and whole for as long as thou shalt live?"

"Yes, I do," Link said with as much fervor and passion as she'd ever heard him say anything. His voice sounded urgent, complemented by his native tongue.

"Do you promise to protect this young lady as your wife for as long as she lives, without regard to your own well being?"

He smiled at her. She wished that hadn't been the line. He'd _already_ promised that, many moons ago. It was a given. He'd already done it.

"Yes, I do!"

"Very good. Meghan Suzan Black, daughter of Ray and Anna Black, Sage of Earth, dost thou agree to keep this union pure and whole for as long as thou shalt live?"

At the mention of her parents' names, her eyes filled with tears. She tried her hardest to not let them fall, but it was impossible. She tilted her head up slightly, willing them to go back into her eyes. The lump in her throat was so great that she couldn't speak without going over the edge. She breathed deeply, knowing everyone was watching. _Just let me speak,_ she begged the tears.

Link looked at her with concern, squeezing her hands. She lowered her head, facing away from the crowd.

"_Meghan_," he whispered, moving slightly closer to her.

She started nodding her head, though no one could see her face still. After a few more seconds, she raised her head.

"_Yes_, yes, I do." She spoke with equal urgency, but her words didn't sound as pretty as his did in Hylian.

God, if she didn't have this union, if she didn't keep it pure, she would have _absolutely nothing._

"Do you promise to care for this young man as your husband for as long as he lives until you are no longer able?"

"Yes, I do." Her voice quavered. _I'll care for you even if I'm unable._

"Very good," said Rauru. "Lukas, The Trusted, please present the bride's ring." Rauru has no hands, so Luke held out the ring for him. "This ring is worn close to the soul of the bride. Its infinite circle represents this infinite love. It represents eternity." He handed the ring to Link. "Place this upon the finger of your one true love." Link had her hand. The ring went on it in an instant. It fit perfectly on her finger.

"Zelda, The Trusted, please present the groom's ring." She did so. "This ring is worn close to the soul of the groom. Its infinite circle represents this infinite love. It represents eternity." She handed the ring to Meghan. "Place this upon the finger of your one true love."

Though her hands were nearly shaking, she managed to put the ring on his finger. She looked up and smiled at him. He grabbed her hands again.

"With the approval of the Goddesses, the approval of the mortal, the approval of the law, and the bond of infinity, these two are officially wed before the eyes of the world. May they live in happiness. You may now express the joy of this holy matrimony."

_It's over?_ Meghan thought. Link smiled at her and lifted her veil from her face, gently placing it behind her. Her stomach flipped. She knew what was coming. Suddenly, she was nervous that everyone was watching.

He leaned forward and kissed her, holding her securely yet tenderly behind her back, tilting his head so that he blocked their faces from the view of the crowd. When he let go, she smiled so widely that her mouth hurt.

"Go now, into the world as one!"

They joined hands and stepped off the dais, moving down the aisle.

_As one_. She laughed as she passed everyone she loved, a bittersweet laugh.

She had a vision, a moment where she swore she saw her own parents standing in the front row. Her mother, with her short brown hair and lovely green eyes, wore a beige dress. Her father, with salt-and-pepper hair and warm brown eyes, was dressed nicely in a suit. Both smiled with the same bitter sweetness, their eyes twinkling. _Letting their little girl go._

Link smiled at her, grasping her hand firmly. He could figure what she was imagining, seeing the tears form again despite her laughs.

_No, love, the world is perfect. You can't possibly make it any more beautiful._

* * *

**Happy tears in my eyes! Sorry about the total fail with Rauru saying things like "dost" and "thou." XD **

**Thanks for reading! *love*  
**


	29. I Could Never Be Anyone Without This

**Sorry for the wait! I couldn't get this chapter out for two reasons. First, tweaking the end was difficult! :( And also, I was trying really hard to finish writing the song that Meghan writes, since it appears in this chapter, but to me, lyrics have become the hardest things _ever_, _especially_ when you're trying to write them from another person's perspective about some happy even that is _not_ happening to you. XD Still, I'll post a bit of the piano on my blog, if you're interested in hearing. :D The main melody contains the _leitmotif_, or recurring theme, that is symbolic of the love between Meghan and Link in its various forms, so now you know. XD**

* * *

**Chapter XIX Part II – I Could Never Be Anyone Without This ("And She Waited" – Aberrant Bliss)**

* * *

The room was so much warmer than outside, and it looked completely different than usual. Everyone had done a beautiful job decorating the ballroom at the castle. The good old ballroom, where all those celebrations had taken place, so many times. They were the only ones there so far, since they had left before everything else. They had the giant, echoing room to themselves for just a few moments.

Link looked around with a giant smile on his face, then he turned to Meghan. They hadn't said anything to each other yet, just grasped each others' hands tightly the whole ride. Maybe they were both trying to figure out the first things to say to each other, as husband and wife. Meghan felt too young for this (she was still a teenager, still only seventeen!), but at the same time, she felt like she'd grown ten years older in the last twenty minutes.

He looked like he was about to say something. She smiled, then laughed, looking away. He couldn't help it and started laughing too.

"What's so funny?" he finally said.

"This is so weird!" she said. _So much for the first words._ "It shouldn't feel any different, right? But it does! It feels so different!"

"It does, doesn't it? I like it. It feels freer." He grinned widely, waving his hand around.

"Is that it? Is this what _freedom_ feels like?"

She laughed.

"Do you like it?"

"Yeah, I think I do." She strayed from him and spun around on the dance floor, her dress spinning along with her. He went and caught her, leaning her back and kissing her.

"You know, I love you," he said, his face close to hers.

"Of course." She smiled. He pulled up straight, his arm around her back, pulling her close to him.

The main door, at the top of the grand staircase, opened slowly. They looked up to see who it was. Sierace peeked through the door. She was clad in a beautiful, icy blue, strapless dress. The skirt hung straight down from her frame and was made from layers of flowing, semi-sheer material, and her hair was pulled up into a bun, but strands fell over her face and onto her shoulders. She smiled at them tentatively, the skirt gathered slightly in her hands.

Link shot her a smile. She rushed down the stairs, colliding into the two of them in a group hug.

"Welcome to our family, Meghan, welcome! Congratulations. You have no idea how happy I am."

They could hear the emotion in her voice as the three embraced. All three felt like they belonged there, and they couldn't help but smile.

They heard a familiar tinkle, and looked to see Navi whizzing down to them.

"Hey, Navi!" they said.

"Congratulations, guys!" she squeaked, flying in excited figure eights. Link laughed and held his hand for her. She landed in it.

"Couldn't have done it without you, Navi," he said affectionately.

Navi beamed and flew over to Meghan. "Hey, you're like my sister now! Sister in law!" Meghan held out her hand, Navi landed, and Meghan planted a kiss on her head.

They heard a tiny sound again. They spotted Saria and Malon meekly peeking through the large doors.

"Hi!" Meghan waved, beckoning them forward. They quietly entered the room. "Come down!"

"Congratulations, guys!" Saria called, gliding gracefully down the stairs. Malon was right at her heels. "It was so beautiful! I wish you could have seen yourselves. I don't think anyone listened to a word poor old Rauru said!"

Link and Meghan laughed with embarrassment, throwing sideways glances at each other, thinking, _well, who wouldn't be enraptured by the way they look?_

Meghan laughed. The door opened again, and this time it was the band. Kazana and Mayano, their Zora musician friends, floated down the stairs. Ruto came in a few seconds behind them.

"Hey! Congrats!" Kazana said to Meghan. She gave Meghan a moist hug. Mayo shook Link's hand.

"Thank you!" Meghan said. They went to set up their instruments on the little stage. Meghan eyed the piano nervously, suddenly remembering her song. She knew she had it down, but she was afraid she'd make a mistake. She put it out of her mind. The day was still young!

More and more people started coming in, all congratulating them and talking them. They couldn't move more than an inch for almost an hour. Link had a few thoughts that he refused to ruminate over, about how this reminded him of a very different situation…where black and darkness took the place of the pure white and light of this moment. He couldn't help the thoughts, but they would _not_ bring him down in this moment. He squeezed her around the waist tighter.

Meghan was glad for the good music in the background, oblivious to Link's memories. There were many songs that Mayo and Kazana's band had written that they were playing, but Meghan had also taught them a few songs from back home over the last few weeks. She couldn't wait for them to play one!

There was food, music, a lot of people, and pretty much an over abundance of everything else good. But it seemed like the more time they spent at this reception, the more they just wanted to be alone. Link wouldn't tell her where they were going after the reception, and she couldn't imagine where he could take her that would be a true surprise. She shook herself free of the impatience and went with him to sit at their table to eat. As usual, the food was delicious. She tasted it, but didn't pay much attention to it. Their hands were grasped, as usual, under the table. Her foot tapped impatiently under the table as they waited for everyone to finish eating.

"What's up?" he asked, laughing. "Why are you so jumpy?"

"Is everyone finished yet?" She tried to find Granice among the people. Meghan met the cook's eye, and Granice nodded to her, standing with a smile.

"Why?" he asked.

"Cake!" she said, pushing her chair back.

"Cake?"

"Well, you know this, in America, it is tradition to have a cake, but it usually looks a lot different than a birthday cake! I'll show you."

Granice had gotten up and went through the kitchen doors. A second later, she wheeled in a four-tiered cake on a cart. It was gigantic and was colored white and with red ribbon-like designs. It was amazing, _especially_ for someone who had just begun making cakes a few weeks ago. Granice was just awesome with all things food.

"Whoa," Link cried, perplexed. "That's edible?"

"Of course, silly!"

People started whisper to each other when they first spotted the monstrosity, no doubt wondering what the hell it was. Especially the people they didn't know as well. Meghan laughed.

"I think you owe everyone an explanation," Link said, laughing as well. Granice pushed it up to the front of the room. There was a knife to cut it and two plates right next to the cake.

"I probably should have explained this to you first," she said with a sheepish grin. "It's a funny tradition."

"OK, but you have to explain to everyone else first. Get up there," he said, pushing her onto the dais at the head of the room and following her. She laughed nervously. "Should I be all formal?" she whispered to him.

"If you want to be."

"OK. Um, hi…everyone! Hey…?" Everyone quieted down. "Hi, thanks. Um, well yeah, we'd like to thank you for coming. This is…super special, I guess, and it means a lot to us that everyone could come help us…celebrate this. Haha. So yeah. You're probably all wondering what this thing is. Well, as you know, probably, I'm from another country, and our weddings are a lot different. So this is a cake and it's a tradition in America to eat it at weddings." She laughed. "It's really yummy. Granice made it! I want you all to try it once we've cut it. It's a dessert. But first it's tradition for me and Link to like…have a bite of it."

She turned to him and smiled. "This is where you come in." She rose up on her toes to whisper in his ear. "Why do I always do the public speaking? I don't think you ever have!"

He laughed. "So?"

She giggled. "OK, this might seem a little complicated but we have to do it, OK?"

"OK!"

"OK, come here."

They stepped off of the dais and in front of the cake. Meghan picked up the knife. He reached his hand to take it away from her.

"No, you have to put your hand over mine," she said, taking his raised hand and fitting it over hers. She was smiling widely. "Now we cut a small piece."

They maneuvered the knife into the soft cake, pressing down on one side and then another. Meghan pushed the flat side of the knife under the cake and lifted it out, dropping it onto the plate. She split the small piece into two smaller pieces. The whole room was nearly silent.

"Take a piece," she instructed.

"With what?" he asked, not seeing a fork.

She laughed. "Your hand!" She picked up the outermost piece, the part with the most icing. He looked shocked, grinning from the corner of his mouth. "This is the complicated part! Open your mouth."

"Why?" he asked, surprised.

"I have to get this in there."

"Seriously?" he asked, laughing hard now.

"Yes! just do it! Ready? One, two, three!"

They hesitated for just a second before stuffing cake into each other's mouths. As soon as it was it, they both lurched their heads forward to avoid getting icing on their clothes. Meghan was laughing so hard with her mouthful of cake. She tried to chew quickly, putting her hand over her mouth. She realized this must have seemed absolutely ridiculous to everyone.

The room was quiet for a few seconds, but soon it was in stitches. Meghan's eyes began to water from all the laughing. She finally swallowed the giant burst. Link handed her a napkin and she delicately wiped her face. She looked up at him, and of course his face was perfectly free of rebel icing, but that only made her laugh harder.

The cake was wheeled away again to cut into portions for everyone. Meghan wished she had a camera _very_ much, but she supposed the cake would have to live on in her memories. _Everything_ here would. Seriously…when were they going to invent cameras?

The band started again, and Meghan and Link strayed to the dance floor, right in front of them. Sierace found her way to them and hugged them again. She was have a hard time getting over this _married_ thing, even more than Link and Meghan.

Mayo started playing a familiar riff. Meghan looked up at him. Mayo was grinning at her. Meghan jumped up.

"Yes!" she cried. "Yes yes yes yes _yes_!" The singer stepped out of her place and Mayo beckoned Meghan to come up on the stage. She looked at Link, and he urged her forward. She gave him a kiss.

"Now I will tell you what I've done for you. Fifty-thousand tears I've cried. Screaming, deceiving, and bleeding for you, and you still won't hear me! I'm going under. Don't want your hand this time I'll save myself. Maybe I'll wake up for once…"

She sang her heart out. It was an amazing feeling, singing with the band! Mayo played everything perfectly after Meghan had written the music out for him as best she could from her memory.

"I'm going under, drowning in you! I'm falling forever. I've got to break through. I'm going under." (Dun dun, dun dun dun.)

She laughed as the song finished.

"Thanks, guys!" she said to the band. They smiled at her and she got off the stage with the help of Link.

"Great job!" he said, walking with her with his hand behind her back.

"Did you like it?"

"Of course! Should I guess who that song is by?"

"Go ahead and try! I bet you'll never get it."

"Hmm…Evanescence?"

"Gasp! How'd you know?" She grinned sheepishly.

"I knew…well, because I really have to go to the bathroom so I didn't have time to stand there and guess."

"Loser, if you have to go to the bathroom so much, then just go!"

"But I had to watch you perform."

She grinned and pushed him away. "Just go," she laughed, pushing him.

"Well, here is Zelda. She'll keep you company while I'm gone."

Zelda came up behind her and put her hands on Meghan's arm.

"Link, just go!"

He turned and ran off.

"Meghan!" Zelda cried. "How is it going?'

"What? Being _married_?" They embraced, Zelda rocking her back and forth affectionately.

"Yes!"

"Well, it's great so far," she said, drawing Zelda closer to whisper to her, "but I feel so impatient. I'm having so much fun here, but I just want to be with him, I think. It's like wanting to do two great things at once, you know?"

She smiled knowingly. "That was exactly how I felt."

Meghan spotted Dia, Celia, and Lacie together, their parents talking jovially a few feet away. Celia and Lacie held hands with little Dia and swayed to the music with her. Meghan and Zelda went to them.

"Hey!" she said to the girls. Dia's face lit up as Meghan approached. Celia and Lacie seemed excited, but held back. Dia went to hug her.

"Congratulations!" she said.

Meghan squeezed her. "Thank you, Dia!" She stood. "Wanna dance?" she asked the three.

Zelda held out her hands to the twins. They looked at each other, mouths open slightly. They were still getting used to being so close to the princess/queen. They shyly took Zelda's hands, then Meghan and Dia joined in to make a circle of swirly dresses and pastel colors. The band was playing an upbeat song and they laughed as they twirled.

It was a few very _long_ minutes before Link came back, which led Meghan to be suspicious. There was no chance he _wasn't_ planning something crazy. As usual. That dork.

But she received him as if she didn't expect anything. "Hey," she said, falling into his arms right away. He put his forehead against hers.

"_Hey_," he whispered, a smile on his lips. He was slightly cold, as though he'd been outside.

It was almost nine o'clock at night. Meghan had told Mayo and the band (complete with strings) that was when she would play her song. They would accompany her, and knew her piece well (better than she did, really). But she was getting nervous. How conceited was she to think that a song she had written was _enough_ for him? But Mayo beckoned her forward again.

"Link, I have something for you."

"You do?" he asked.

"Yeah," she backed up out of his grasp, moving backward toward the piano on the stage. "Your present. I wrote it. I hope you like it."

They gave each other a little stare before she went to sit at the piano.

She began with a tiny motif, a sweet sound that piqued the interest of the crowd. She took a deep breath, feeling slightly strange in this moment, but then began to sing. The words spoke of conflict and resolution, hard times, but also the times that make everything better. She'd _tried_ to stay away from cliché love lyrics while conveying the feeling at the same time. Tried. Probably failed. When the band kicked in with the strings, the epic chord progression created a deep-rooted feeling of hope and introspection in the listeners. Soon it came to an echoing end, then all was silent. She felt oddly emotional, unable to move or even look up from the piano for a moment.

People clapped for her. She stood shakily and shyly bowed. She met Link's gaze. His face was blank. He reached for her and pulled her down from the stage.

"Did you like it?" she whispered nervously. His face was against hers and he didn't speak a word. He was only silent. His arms gripped her tightly.

Somehow, his reaction was more rewarding than if he had once again told her that he had liked it.

"_I am yours. And you are mine_," he finally whispered. The room was silent as everyone watched them. He had no intentions of letting go any time soon.

* * *

The reception continued, and it seemed like all the guests were having fun. They would continue to have fun for however long they wanted, but that no longer concerned Meghan and Link.

Link had planned to leave at 10:30. A few minutes before then, they got back up on the dais. Meghan opened her mouth to speak, totally not expecting _him_ to, because of his _quietness_ and all, but Link got to it before she could.

"Thank you, everyone for coming. This was…amazing." His voice was clear. Meghan was certain he'd _never_ spoken in front of so many people before, but he didn't even sound nervous or shaky. (Of course, leave it to him to be perfect at everything.) "We're going to go now, so we're bidding everyone a great night and next few days, too."

Meghan smiled next to him. His arm was around her waist.

"Thanks, guys. I love you all!" she said. "I guess we're off…" she said, mostly to herself.

They stepped off the dais and were surrounded instantly by a crowd of people. So much for saying goodbye to everyone at once…

All the sages were right in front of them. Meaningful glances were exchanged. Meghan and Link hugged the appropriate few (the ones who wouldn't kill them if they hugged them: Saria, Impa, and Nabooru) and exchanged words with the others (Darunia, Ruto). Rauru had split, though, since these situations weren't his _cup of tea_. Malon waited quietly next to Saria and they thanked her as well for getting the carriage and everything.

Then there was Sheftali, her husband Amalric, and the little ones. It was strange having Sheftali's husband around now. He'd never been around before a few months ago, when he had finally realized he needed to sober up and step up for his family. Now, he was all around the lab when he wasn't working. He was actually a really good person, as Meghan had come to realize, and he complimented Sheftali perfectly. Meghan pulled Dia into her arms, the girl who she was so fond of. She was the most adorable child Meghan had ever seen. Devan was getting older by the second, but he seemed to be more relaxed now that his father was better. Amalric congratulated them and Meghan gave Sheftali and tight hug.

"Best of luck to you and to your future," Sheftali whispered.

"Thank you."

Blocking the door, everyone was there. Gordley and Link the Gorons; Narma, Kiku, Shada, and Tamay the Gerudo girls; the Masitima family; the carpenters, the seamtresses who made Meghan's dress, and the tailors who made Link's tux; Lima and Garbanzo, with their children Kazana and Mayo, the Zora; Granice the wonderful cook and Umom Borabul, one of Zelda's officials; castle workers and soldiers with whom they'd made friends, even Liam's trainer and others still. It took a while to get to the back door. When they finally squeezed out, Sierace, Navi, Zelda, and Luke were waiting for them.

"Ready?" Luke asked.

"So, are you going to tell me now where we're going?" Meghan asked Link.

"No, actually." He put her shawl back over her shoulders, then started walking, with Sierace on his other side.

"When do you plan on letting me know?"

Navi was giggling. She landed on Link's head, using his hair to hold on as he walked.

"When we get there! I promise, everything will be explained."

"I bet you two already know," Meghan said to Zelda and Luke. They both turned and grinned at her. "See, there's never a deviance in things like this."

"You do the same exact thing to me, and Luke does it to Zelda and Zelda does it to Luke, so we're all guilty at some point."

"Sierace, where are we going?" Meghan asked, ignoring the other three.

"I'm not going. It's just you two," she said mischievously.

"Navi?" Meghan begged, looking up to the fairy riding atop Link's head.

"My lips are closed!" She gasped. "But oh! No! They're open! Oh no! I can't…talk…with…mouth…closed!"

They all laughed at the silly fairy.

"How long does it take to get there?"

"Not very long," Link said, still laughing. "Just hold on!"

They were traveling through the back way out of the castle, the direction that led to the stables. Epona was waiting for them outside the door, the new saddle Meghan had gotten for Link on her back. Oh yeah. That had been her birthday present for him. Kinda lame.

"This is your destination!"

"So why are you all here?" she asked flatly, jokingly.

"Wishing you luck!" Sierace said. She kissed Meghan on the cheek. "Welcome to the family. We love you!" Meghan was pretty sure she was going to overdose on _welcome_ fairly soon. And _readiness_. And lov—

Wait, no. The love was totally cool.

"And we must speak to you privately for a moment, Meghan," Zelda said, drawing Meghan aside. Link and Luke strayed away. "Tonight…"

It only took a second for Meghan to realize where she was going.

"Eaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh stop right there, Zelda! No. It's cool. I uhhh…don't need to know."

"Meghan, it's customary for us to tell you…" Zelda was growing red. Sierace opened her mouth, looking sideways, but Meghan spoke first.

"Nah, it's OK, really. That stuff won't be happening. And besides, I know everything there is to know. Health class. Back on Earth. Got that covered. It's all good. Thanks, though." She couldn't believe this. And now everyone expected her to. God damn it, she was only seventeen. There was no way. Aiyaaaaaa, and Sierace was there too! Awkward.

Zelda tilted her head to the side. Then she smiled. "All right, then. Best of luck."

Meghan glanced over at Link. Luke was talking quietly to him. Link was listening politely, but he had that "Luke is going at it again" look. He glanced over at Meghan and smirked. She smiled back, knowing whatever Luke was telling him was crazy and/or unnecessary.

When Luke was finished with his bezoomy*? story, Meghan and Link met up again.

"Ready for real this time?" he asked, a tint of a smile on his angelic face.

"I'm _done_ answering this question," Meghan joked. But she really was tired of it.

"OK, then, up you go." He knocked her into his arms so suddenly that she gasped. He lifted her up to sit sidesaddle on Epona, and then climbed on himself. Navi flew to both their cheeks and gave them her signature tiny kisses, then zoomed off, back to stand on Sierace's head.

Meghan waved timidly at them, knowing they were thinking she'd be off to do something dirty. Which wasn't true.

Epona started off on the path around the castle that led through Hyrule Castle Town and out onto the field. It was dark, but the moon lit their way. He held her safely and securely. They were headed in the direction of the woods to the right of the castle, where the Unicorn Fountain was. She wondered if maybe that was where he was taking her. What if all along, he had known where it was? But it didn't seem like a very comfortable honeymooning location. But who knew—he was full of surprises sometimes. Actually all the time.

They entered the forest, which was starting to confirm Meghan's suspicions. She was almost going to voice her guess, but she closed her mouth again. He wouldn't say. Yet. He lit the lantern hanging from Epona's saddle and held it out.

But he went past the turn that would lead to the fountain. She was both relieved and more curious. What could possibly be in the middle of a forest? They rode a few minutes through monotonous woods on a faint but clear pathway.

Then she saw it. There was a clearing just ahead. In the darkness, it looked like thick grass grew on the ground. There was a tiny stone path to a little stone cottage, lanterns laying about so that they could see the whole area clearly. The house was adorable and seemed very well taken care of. Or new.

"What is it?"

"It's ours," he said nonchalantly as he got off Epona.

"Is this like…a, uh, vacation house or something?"

"No, love," he said, pulling her down. He held her in his arms and she put her arms around his neck. "It's our home. Ours."

She stared at him in the dim light. "Like…"

"Like, we're going to live here now…unless you don't like it. Or don't want to." He laughed. He was nervous. He could only hope she'd like his plan. Maybe he shouldn't have said it so forcefully. The thoughts of doubt he'd occasionally had were rearing up again—what if she didn't want to live out here? What if she hated the house? What if she was upset because he hadn't let her in on picking and designing their home? But he couldn't help his nature—he loved seeing her surprised reactions to everything.

"We have a house?" The reality of it was so shocking…

"We do. We have a home."

"Where did it come from?" She was so surprised. She wasn't sure if she was happy or what. It was so unexpected. Weren't they looking for a house in Hyrule Castle Town? She didn't know where she'd wanted to live, but she wouldn't have minded Hyrule Castle Town, or Kakariko…

Somehow, this was just _too_ perfect…

"Well, you know how I've been disappearing a lot lately, for wedding things?" He started walking to the front door. "Well, really I've been coming here to finish this. We finally did finish it, last week, everything that I could finish without you."

She knew he was up to something, when she'd caught him almost coming here! That had been what he was doing!

"I…" This meant she wouldn't live in the castle anymore. _Ever_.

"It's…I mean…it's really simple…I don't think we could afford anything much larger, but I gave it everything I think we could. I hope you like it. If you want to change anything, just tell me. Or do it."

"Link…how _are_ we paying for this?" It was the only logical thing she could think to say.

"Don't worry! I knew you'd worry about that. We're going to pay for it. It cost just over 10,000 rupees. We're going to pay in installments. Don't worry. We're going to do it together."

She smiled.

"Good, you're smiling!"

"I want to see," she said, finally taking interest in the actual house rather than the idea of it.

"Right." He opened the door and lit the candles inside. He let her down just inside. The front area was really two rooms. On the left side, there was a kitchen with a small table in the middle of it, small ceramic tiles on the floor. The sink was right in front of a window that faced out to the front of the house. To the right, there was a living room. Against the right wall, there was a couch, and a coffee table in front of that. On the front wall, there was a fireplace. But what amazed Meghan…

"…My piano," she said, with surprise and wonder in her voice. "How did it get here? It was in my room this morning! I would have noticed it if was gone!"

"When I had to go to the bathroom before, I was really just helping Luke and Amalric bring it over here…"

"Oh." It matched the room perfectly. She wouldn't be surprised if he had designed the room around the piano, or the idea of it anyway. In ways, she was quite sad that she wouldn't be in her castle apartment anymore, and somehow the piano looked less regal here. But where it lacked in majesty, it gained warmth and love. It was in the corner, against the far wall.

"So…so far? Do you like it?"

"Yes…" she said.

"Would you like to see more?"

"Yeah, I would." She was in such wonder that it was hard to say anything. He turned and gently locked the front door, then they took their shoes off (welp, he had to help her with that because of that silly dress). With his hand behind her back, he guided her forward, down the hallway straight ahead. The doors were all closed, but she counted four of them. He opened the first one on the right. Inside was a bathroom. It had everything. It was small and reminded her more of a bathroom from home, save for the claw footed bath tub.

"Sorry, no dressing room," he said with a smile.

"I suppose I can do without that. We don't need a 'Link's Stuff Room' anymore, anyway, right?"

"My stuff can go wherever you want it to go."

She smiled. "Loser."

He left that door open and led the way to the next room on the right. Before he opened it, he said, "This isn't really anything yet…I don't know what it could be, but right now, I suppose we are storing things here."

The room was kinda smallish and pretty empty but for two wooden boxes in the corner, and it was cold. It was a blue color, but it was very dark, with the only light streaming in from the end of the small hallway. There was a door to outside in the back.

"That's OK," she said. "We can make it into something."

He closed the door. They turned around to the door across the hall. It was a small, bright yellow bedroom with a small closet. There was a small, empty bed in the top right corner, but the rest was empty.

He shrugged. "Guest bedroom, or something," he mumbled.

She smiled, but her heart was beating strangely quickly.

"And…this is the last room…" he said with a tiny blush. She smiled and bit her lip.

He opened the last door. It was already lit with candles, and was by far the most decorated in the house. The walls were a golden beige color. A queen-sized bed was opposite the door and was framed by windows on either side. The comforter on the bed was an intricate gold and red embroidered pattern. The curtains, drawn on the windows, were the same red as the comforter. There was a short dresser with a mirror on their left against the wall. It was made from a dark wood that went beautifully with the other colors in the room. There were two nightstands on either side of the bed in the same wood. On the right side of the room there was a long wardrobe. The floor was hard wood, but there was a giant, gorgeous, plush-looking rug underneath the bed that extended a few feet out from it.

It was the epitome of perfect.

"What do you think?" he asked quietly.

"Did you do this?"

"Most of it," he said.

"You're amazing," she said breathily, and then she kissed him.

"Do you really like it?" he asked seriously, with her lips still touching his.

"No, silly, I _hate_ it," she said fiercely. He smiled, placing his fingers on her back. The corset, however, was thick and he couldn't feel her beneath it. She looked so beautiful in the dress, as he'd expected, _buuut_ she didn't like dresses _that_ much, right?

She was pressed up close to him and he couldn't keep himself from pulling at the red ribbons that held the corset in place. The shawl fell off of her shoulders onto the floor. His mouth kissed the curve in her neck as the corset grew looser and looser. Her lips were parted slightly, and she was breathing heavily, strange tingles and a nervous feeling throughout her core.

A second later, the dress was falling away from her frame. It slid down her body onto a rather tall heap on the floor. She still wore a white, strapless undershirt and panties. She stepped out of the dress and pushed him out of the tux jacket. He pulled her close to his body so he could carry her to the bed. He gently placed her onto it. She instantly melted.

"Do you like it?" he whispered.

"Of course, you crazy person. Don't worry…I love this." She thought for a moment, taking this all in. There was some kind of safety blanket pulled from her. She'd grown used to living in the castle, and she felt unready to live a real life now. "I wonder what people think of us. I'm so little. I didn't think I'd have my own house when I was seventeen. I'm supposed to be living with my parents…most high school kids in America with boyfriends don't even live with their boyfriends…" She was kind of a freak.

"But you don't have a boyfriend anymore," he said with a laugh. "I'm not your boyfriend, and I wish you wouldn't think of me like that. And I wish you wouldn't think of other people, either. This is our life now, Megs. Do whatever with it that you want."

"I'm sorry, my love. I have a husband," she said, reaching up to touch his face. She pulled him down to kiss him. "I want to give him everything. I love him so much and I _think_ he loves me."

"_I do_," he whispered.

* * *

**Lalalalalala CREDITZ  
(Credits song: "Bedshaped" by Keane) **

**Cast:**

Link Aleron Navi – Anthony Beaston

Meghan Black – Young Amy Lee? The world may never know~

Zelda Azalea Hyrule – Taylor Swift (loooolz I know)

Luke Rinelo Hyrule – Ewan McGreggor. PERFECT.  
Navi – Light Bulb

Liam – POOCHIE

EW Ganon – ew

Shina – ew.

Sierace Quinoa – Melanie Laurent

Sheftali Peech – Not sure yet

Dia Peech – Claire Geare

Devan Peech – maybe Gulliver McGrath?

Erol Masitima - Asa Butterfield! He's perfect!

Saria!  
Malon!  
Nabooru!  
Darunia!  
Ruto!  
Rauru!  
Etc etc.

**Music:  
**It inspired everything. This is a glorified song fic. Full (giant) playlist soon to be on the blog!

**Special Thanks:**  
~These wonderful reviewers, _whosahassa_ and _HereComeTheDrums_, who inspired me to continue when I totally thought I wasn't going to, years later. Thank you _so_ much, from the bottom of my heart. It means the whole world to me.

~My friends who listen to me talk on and on about these story things. Most specifically, my dearest Laila, my love Simon, and Tony!

~My parents. Especially my dad, because he's probably the only person who listens to me talk about these things for hours and actually asks questions and tries to understand all my silly little ideas. XD

~**YOU**. EVERYONE ELSE. COOKIES.

* * *

All right, that's the end of this story in the canonical storyline (well, canon ASW-wise, obviously not in Zelda land. XD)! I know, I know. It's a terrible ending. I have a different ending, but It's even more terrible and not something that I want to share (just them having a super dumb conversation) so I just made this stupid ending for ff. net. Oh wellz, I sowwy, I've been trying for days but nothing came to me. O.o Of the first three stories, this definitely has the worst ending. XD

So, I usually hate asking for reviews. Really. I'd rather _one_ spontaneous review over fifty forced ones, believe me. But I'm really curious because I'm terrible, but I like to look at the hit count for my stories and see that people _seem_ to be reading, but I'm not sure if they're just browsing or actually reading…so do you think you could tell me if you've finished reading? You totally don't have to say what you thought about it. You could just be like "hi I READ YOUR WHOLE STORY." That would make me happy. Also _criticism_. That also makes me happy (well I guess mean crit wouldn't, but you get what I mean XD). I'd love to know what I can improve upon! Reallyreallyreally! But I'm not asking for that. I'd simply love to know if you read. :)

I suppose I'll post my real _end author's note_ in the very last chapter. I dunno when that will be out. I suppose I'm like a quarter done with it? I'll work on it, I swear! :D I'll try to have it by next week. :D

* * *

**-*~Thank you _so much.~*-_**


	30. Lonely Hearted: Link's Story

_**Lonely Hearted**_

_L. A. Navi_  
_May 23__rd__, 220_

_Zelda,_

_I have never told anyone how quickly my heart was beating. No one realized that my knees were shaking and I feared I would collapse right there. Not a soul knows how I scoffed my title, my Triforce, the goddesses, when I first faced that great evil._

_Those things that supposedly set me apart from anyone else were lies. I am just a tool. And it was fine that way. As long as she was all right._

_Of course, I must admit that I didn't expect meeting with that great evil to turn out as it did. I'd known that when the day came to face him, I would place my girl in a safe place and make sure that she was cared for if anything happened to me. Nearing the end of the journey, I knew that I had to take such precautions. I had to protect her from many things, including herself. She was something special to me, some kind of fallen kindred spirit that came out of nowhere._

_But to see her collapsed on the ground, the great evil looming over her, made me feel like I'd lost everything I had within—all courage, all knowledge. She represented everything I had to save. The very thought of saving everything and the thought that I could be the last hope was what kept me going, with my knees shaking, my heart failing. But she was fine, then._

_I still remembered how she came to me, like some strange angel. Different then. She transformed over those few weeks, in more ways than were apparent to others. When at first only you knew the true danger she was meant to be, Zelda, Saria and I spoke of nothing but helping her along. She grew on me. I couldn't stop it. She started at my feet and wound her way up to my heart. First it was the way she was concerned for me and the strange way she wanted to help, though it was not her battle. Though she was not able._

_Soon her eager personality took on a different light—I found she was extremely curious, eager for knowledge, introspective. She was also strange, prone to outbursts of nonsense, uninhibited with me in a way she was not with other people. And when she denied any participation when people grouped her in with us, as a savior of Hyrule, she was the one who was wrong. I think you knew this all along Zelda, and this is why you insisted so much, but she saved Hyrule because she saved me. That girl, that unofficial sage from Earth._

_Though those weeks were only a small portion of time we spent together, they felt like years to me. Maybe it was making up for the years I lost. I emerged from my long sleep feeling out of place, completely different. I suddenly saw the world in a different light. No longer was I a boy from my tiny forest, surrounded by children in peace. There was turmoil, chaos. Everything was so serious, so adult in a way I had never experienced. She came and showed me what it was like to live in such a world. She was everything to me, quite literally—a teacher, a friend, my love. There were definitely times when I felt that I took advantage of this too much. I used her._

_In those days, we were all tools of some kind. You were born to follow what your father had done, to bear the stress of a world. Luke was trained from a young age to be a spy. And my Meghan…she was sent here to do something she never could do. Destruction. It makes me laugh. The only destruction she was capable was the destruction of my heart. She was actually very good at that._

_So good that, as you know, I was giving up. No, I gave up. I gave up everything when she left this world. I didn't want anything any longer. But I am what I am. Zelda, I know what you did. In a way, I've needed to lean on you like I did on her. _

_You saved me that time. I know you meant for me to not know this, but I know it was you. You conjured that monster. I can't even remember how long after she left us that it happened, but suddenly there was new evil, threatening our lives again, so soon after I thought the great evil was gone. I felt incredulous. At first, I could bear life even less. I was gone, until the automatic savior inside me found its way out. You let me know I was needed then, and I couldn't leave this poor Hyrule behind, and I have to thank you for that._

_It has been a year to this very day since I've seen her face, which feels like an eternity. It is even stranger to realize that I have lived more years without her than I have with her. Many more. But that year with her was something I don't believe anyone would imagine. She just made me whole. Her presence still lingers here, though. Sometimes I hear her laughter in that of a child. I feel her standing behind me, beside me, but never with me. And when there is music...she dances inside me until the very last note._

_I've heard that time heals. I've been told this by people who meant well. It is true that these days, I can wake up in the morning in that stupid house in Kakariko and live a seemingly normal life, but I alone know the true nature of time. Time hides. If you push your past back in time, time will run from you with those memories. But it does not heal. Time is a coward, and this realization makes me truly wonder what I am. I am a paradox. I was given the gift of courage by the goddesses, yet forced to manipulate time in order to use this courage. This amounts to nothing. Zelda, in the end, I am just a person._

_Sometimes, when I can no longer bear the thought of her being gone, I imagine she merely left me. I imagine everything never got better between us (though it had not been our faults to begin with) and that she found someone else, that she is now happy somewhere else, perhaps back to her Earth. The thought kills me inside, but at least the aching emptiness I feel in the world lessens. Then, it is solely her love that lies bleeding in my hands, not her beautiful self. _

_I often think she would have been better off with someone else. I loved her with everything I had, and I could never say no to her. I was addicted to her, obsessed with being with her every moment, so that I could never just put her in that safe place and save the world without her. I thought I could protect her best by keeping her at my side, and also that she would help me be my best._

_What I never realized until long after she was gone was that I cannot protect anything. I am not a protector. The only thing I can do is save the world from the damage I have already caused it. _

_I've saved the world more times than I care to admit (because every time, it was my fault the world even needed saving). You gave me enough strength to realize I was needed here, but now I have even more strength to realize I am not. I'm sorry for this letter, Zelda. I just needed to let my thoughts out, and I am not always able to do so with spoken words. _

_I'm going to leave this place now. I'm going to leave Hyrule. I remember the time when she stared into the forest, into the Lost Woods and told me with certainty (though she would never know) that Termina lay beyond those trees, far off in the distance in a place no Hylian would ever find. I'm going to go there. Maybe I'll find her again along the way, but for now, I need to let go._

_Take care, Zelda. You are everything to this world._

_Link_

* * *

Zelda stood across the field, watching him leave, _feeling_ him leave, the letter in her pocket. He wore nothing but black, as he had every day since _her_ funeral, in _her_ honor. Surely he was aware of Zelda's presence, but he did not look back. He did not hesitate.

She had never intended for him to know that it had been her that created a new evil after _she_ had died. She was even ashamed of it. She would never wish harm upon Link or Hyrule. But it was the only way she could think to save Link, because the one thing he could not ignore was the duty to save everything.

She was saddened. It seemed that, in the end, she was losing them both. They had both left now. Perhaps it was for the best. He was no longer the same Link. Maybe he would find a new place for his new self. She could only hope so.

Soon, their story would be mere legend, but she would be sure it was never forgotten.

* * *

**I'm sure you got it, but this is what would happen if Link never saved her, and how Zelda ends up saving him. There's a lot to this alternate timeline, but I really wanted to keep the simple letter format because I've never done that before, and I wanted to try to write as Link, which is hardest. This was inspired mostly by the song "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" by Elton John. Then more songs (a lot of classic rock) went along. I really feel like they embody Link's psyche. Just those guitar riffs...they are _so_ my Link. XD I used a few quotes from the songs in Link's words, like "love lies bleeding," "a year (ago) to this very day" and "[her] presence still lingers here."**

**And that picture on my profile, my avatar, that is also what gave me the idea. It's a picture of Link in a black tunic with Meghan standing behind him, but she'd not actually there (she has no reflection). I'd always imagined that was an alternate timeline, but it wasn't really until I heard the Elton John tune that I started actually writing this. :D**

**If you want to know the whole story, I've elaborated on my blog.**

**Playlist:**  
**Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding - Elton John**  
**Who Wants to Live Forever - Queen**  
**Through Her Eyes - Dream Theater**  
**Separate Ways - Journey**  
**My Immortal - Evanescence**

**About the third book- **

**I'm in the process of figuring it all out! The major parts are written, but I have to figure out how I really want it to go before I feel comfortable posting it.**

**Thank you ever so much for reading! I hope that you continue to read BSF when it comes. :)**

***love***


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